Independence advocates from the Taiwan Republic Office yesterday called on Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) politicians to amend the law so that women could also be conscripted to bolster Taiwan’s armed forces in the face of escalating Chinese military aggression.
The advocates rallied outside the Legislative Yuan, demanding that KMT Legislator Charles Chen (陳以信) and KMT Taipei City Councilor Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) make good on their promise of amending the Military Service Act (兵役法) to enable conscription of both genders, as is done in Israel.
Office director Chilly Chen (陳峻涵) said it is rare for his organization to agree with the KMT’s proposals, but Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers should help push the amendment through, because it would achieve gender equality and bolster national defense.
Photo: CNA
Charles Chen and KMT Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) were the only two KMT lawmakers among six members of the Legislative Yuan invited to meet with former US senator Chris Dodd, former US deputy secretaries of state Richard Armitage and James Steinberg, and US Department of State Office of Taiwan Coordination Director Dan Biers, who visited Taiwan last week.
The US delegation reportedly asked Charles Chen and Chiang about the KMT’s interpretation of the so-called “1992 consensus.”
Charles Chen reportedly said that young Taiwanese lack an understanding of international affairs.
Media reports also quoted people present at Thursday’s meeting as saying that Charles Chen made other critical remarks, including: “Young people in Taiwan said they do not fear a military conflict between Taiwan and China, yet they are not willing to serve in the military.”
This sparked criticism on social media, with some people demanding an apology from Charles Chen.
Hsu then posted a message in support of Charles Chen, in which she asked the DPP to adjust current policy to allow for the conscription of women to increase the number of troops in the event of war breaking out with China.
“In the past, the KMT always pandered to China’s interests and acquiesced to China’s military threats against Taiwan by directing their criticism at the DPP, but now we have two KMT politicians taking a very different stance,” Chilly Chen said, adding that some people have questioned their motives.
“However, their views are quite correct, as we … need to bolster our military strength,” he said.
The so-called “1992 consensus,” a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000, refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese government that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Eight restaurants in Taiwan yesterday secured a one-star rating from the Michelin Guide Taiwan for the first time, while three one-star restaurants from last year’s edition were promoted to two stars. Forty-three restaurants were awarded one star this year, including 34 in Taipei, five in Taichung and four in Kaohsiung. Hosu (好嶼), Chuan Ya (川雅), Sushi Kajin (鮨嘉仁), aMaze (心宴), La Vie by Thomas Buhner, Yuan Yi (元一) and Frassi in Taipei and Front House (方蒔) in Kaohsiung received a one-star rating for the first time. Hosu is known for innovative Taiwanese dishes, while Chuan Ya serves Sichuan cuisine and aMaze specializes
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) plans to ease strained capacity during peak hours by introducing new fare rules restricting passengers traveling without reserved seats in 2026, company Chairman Shih Che (史哲) said Wednesday. THSRC needs to tackle its capacity issue because there have been several occasions where passengers holding tickets with reserved seats did not make it onto their train in stations packed with individuals traveling without a reserved seat, Shih told reporters in a joint interview in Taipei. Non-reserved seats allow travelers maximum flexibility, but it has led to issues relating to quality of service and safety concerns, especially during
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Chiayi County at 4:37pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 36.3km southeast of Chiayi County Hall at a depth of 10.4km, CWA data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Chiayi County, Tainan and Kaohsiung on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Pingtung, Taitung, Hualien, Changhua, Nantou and Penghu counties, the data
RSS