National Security Bureau Director-General Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) yesterday endorsed a report that was released on Monday last week by the National Security Council, which said that China is increasing its threats against Taiwan as it tries to influence January’s elections and might poach one to two of the nation’s diplomatic allies before the end of the year.
During a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s National Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator William Tseng (曾銘宗) asked Chiu whether there is a basis to the claim that Taiwan could lose one to two more allies this year.
“Yes,” Chiu said.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Asked by Tseng which region Taiwan could be losing allies from and whether Taiwan would continue to lose allies next year, Chiu said that he could not say.
The bureau would continue to observe the situation, but cannot make unsubstantiated judgements, he said.
Asked by Tseng whether there is a possibility that China could limit flights to and from Taiwan, suspend financial ties with Taiwan or cancel the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, Chiu said: “Any situation that is disadvantageous toward us, [as well as] suppression or interference, is possible.”
The initiative does not lie with Taiwan, he said, adding that the nation can only act based on signs it has observed.
KMT Legislator Jason Hsu (許毓仁) asked Chiu what the phrase “lure white, attack green” (拉白打綠) in the report refers to.
The report was not referring to any specific person, Chiu said.
Members of any political camp could be lured, he said.
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