Legislators yesterday called for an amendment to the law governing Hong Kong and Macau affairs to prevent Chinese-funded enterprises poaching Taiwanese talent and infiltrating the nation.
Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Tai-san (邱太三) said that amending the Laws and Regulations Regarding Hong Kong & Macau Affairs (香港澳門關係條例) is a serious matter, and promised to discuss the issue with the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA).
Chinese-funded enterprises often disguise themselves as foreign-funded or Hong Kong-funded firms to evade regulations, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lo Mei-ling (羅美玲) said at a question-and-answer session at the legislature.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The Investigation Bureau discovered 33 such cases since 2020, Lo said.
Of the 33 enterprises, 19 were disguised as Taiwanese-funded; 11 were funded by overseas Chinese, foreign nationals or Hong Kong sources; two secretly set up private research and development centers in Taiwan; and one was a Chinese company that opened an office in Taiwan, Lo said.
About 500 to 600 people were involved in these cases, contravening the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例), she added.
Lo requested that Article 31 of the Hong Kong and Macau act be reviewed and amended to safeguard national security, economic development and Taiwan’s industrial advantages.
Chinese companies poaching Taiwanese talent used to be governed by the Trade Secrets Act (營業秘密法), but the National Security Act (國家安全法) has to be amended when core technologies are involved, Chiu said.
Regarding the Hong Kong and Macau Act, the government has been revising relevant regulations as the two regions are no longer colonies, Chiu said, adding that the government would intervene if more than 30 percent of a company’s funding comes from Chinese sources.
Meanwhile, DPP Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) questioned the government’s proposal to amend the Act for Promotion of Private Participation in Infrastructure Projects (促進民間參與公共建設法) while the MAC is simultaneously clamping down on Chinese-funded enterprises.
The amendment would allow investment from foreign-funded firms in key infrastructure projects, such as green energy, railroads and transportation, she said.
If the proposed amendment takes effect, Chinese-funded enterprises could easily channel funding through companies registered abroad to infiltrate Taiwan, she said.
Chiu said that investment in certain fields is clearly forbidden by the MOEA, adding that the government would strictly regulate Chinese-funded firms.
However, the government would consider revising the regulation on funding from Hong Kong, he added.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS