Groups made up of Hong Kong students in Taipei are to hold an event on Tuesday to thank Taiwanese for supporting the territory and to draw attention to the importance of unity against Beijing’s ever-increasing oppression of the two regions.
The “6.9 Thank You Taiwan Festival” (感謝台灣祭), to be held on the anniversary of the start of last year’s Hong Kong protests against a proposed extradition bill, is designed to get people concerned with the region’s democratic movement to interact with each other, organizers said on Facebook.
The organizers include the Hong Kong Outlanders, stores and restaurants operated by Hong Kongers, and the Facebook groups for National Chengchi University’s (NCCU) and National Taipei University’s “Lennon walls.”
Hong Kong students are grateful to be able to come to Taiwan, and would stand by Taiwanese to protect its democracy, said one of the organizers, a Hong Kong student who uses the pseudonym “N.”
His comments came amid concerns that the unemployment rate would rise and the nation’s resources would be strained if Hong Kongers were to seek political asylum in Taiwan.
Beijing’s promise of maintaining its “one country, two systems” framework for 50 years for Hong Kong is an outright lie, as its totalitarian rule has not changed 31 years after the Tiananmen Square Massacre, N said.
He said he hoped to stay in Taiwan after graduation, saying that the nation has opened his eyes to the world.
Hopefully, the event would show Taiwanese that Hong Kongers do not want to be a burden to Taiwan, but want to be a part of it so that they can contribute, too, a message on the NCCU “Lennon wall” said.
Facing domineering oppression from the Chinese Communist Party, it is time for Taiwan and Hong Kong to unite to safeguard their values of freedom and democracy, it said.
“Our power might be limited and our voices might not be loud, but silence is never an option,” it said.
The event is to start at 1pm at 8 Meters Coworking Space in Taipei.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
Fung-wong has been downgraded to a tropical storm from a typhoon as it approaches Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The storm has weakened, but would still pose a major threat to Taiwan and its surrounding waters as it comes closer, CWA forecaster Chu Mei-lin (朱美霖) told reporters. As of 9am, the center of Tropical Storm Fung-wong was 360km southwest of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point, and moving north-northeast to northeast at 12kph. It was carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 108kph and gusts of 137kph, compared with 119kph and 155kph respectively recorded at about 7am
RSS