The Economic Democracy Union (EDU) yesterday proposed several measures to safeguard Taiwan’s economy, including preventing a Chinese blockade of Taiwan.
Aside from calling for working with the US to prevent a blockade in the Taiwan Strait, it also proposed collaborations with Washington on critical security infrastructure, restricting technology exports to China and joint reviews of investments, as well as a motion to ban Hon Hai Precision Industry Co from investing in Chinese company Tsinghua Unigroup, EDU researcher Ou Hsu-shao (歐栩韶) said.
These measures would prevent Taiwan from becoming a loophole for China to access advanced technologies, the EDU said.
Taiwan and the US should work together to conduct wargame scenarios on how Washington would assist Taipei in storing and obtaining materials necessary to produce semiconductors, guarantee a source of natural gas to secure power supply and provide basic material needs, the EDU said.
These are necessary, especially in light of China’s unprecedented military drills following the visit of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi early last month, which the EDU said was an attempt by Beijing to enforce an aerial and naval blockade on Taiwan, it said.
The US should also work with Taiwan in developing infrastructure, especially in Taiwan’s science parks, to prevent China from learning what goes on in the parks via Chinese-made surveillance cameras, the EDU said.
Media reports early this month said that Hsinchu Science Park had purchased China-made surveillance cameras, while 16 other cameras that appeared to be made entirely in Taiwan, contained Chinese components.
The reports said the cameras were installed on the main road of the science park.
EDU researcher Hsu Kuan-tse (許冠澤) said Taiwan should consider passing legislation similar to the US’ Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act to prevent Taiwan from becoming a technological loophole for China.
Hsu also called on Taiwan to work with the US on joint reviews for foreign investments to bar all Chinese-sourced investments from entering Taiwan, adding that Hon Hai’s investment in Tsinghua Unigroup should be banned.
The Investment Commission must be reformed and its ranks expanded to include experts in national security, prosecution, technology and combating money laundering, EDU convener Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強) said.
The two executive secretaries of the commission should be headed by officials from the National Security Bureau and the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau, he said.
The commission should have on-site prosecutors, as per the Financial Supervisory Commission, allowing the Investment Commission to launch investigations promptly should they discover criminal activity in the line of duty, Lai said.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
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
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