A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) delegation’s visit to China could cause the international community to misinterpret the will of Taiwanese to defend their country from China, the New Power Party (NPP) said yesterday.
KMT Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia (夏立言) yesterday departed for China on a nine-day visit that he said was intended to address issues related to Taiwanese living and working in China.
“Hsia went to China after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken last week canceled a scheduled trip to Beijing following the discovery of a Chinese spy balloon in US skies, after Beijing conducted live-fire military exercises following a visit to Taiwan in August last year by [then-]US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi, and after US Air Mobility Command General Mike Minihan last month warned in a memorandum that the US could get into a war with China in 2025 over Taiwan,” the party said in a statement.
Beijing has banned imports of pineapple sugar apples and other agricultural products over the past few years, it said.
In spite of these hostile actions, Hsia and KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) were eager for a delegation to visit China after Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office Director Song Tao (宋濤) on Sunday said that negotiations between Taiwan and China could resume so long as Taipei recognizes the so-called “1992 consensus,” the party said.
The “1992 consensus,” a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000, refers to a tacit agreement between the KMT and the Chinese government that each side acknowledges the existence of “one China,” but maintains its own interpretation of what that means.
Beijing’s recent military, political and economic actions regarding Taiwan have been designed so that pro-China groups in Taiwan can spin issues in their favor, the NPP said.
“We strongly condemn the KMT for sending Hsia to visit China when Beijing has not ceased operations to influence politics in Taiwan. The trip compromises the interests and safety of Taiwanese,” it said.
Hsia’s trip is the KMT’s way of seeking the approval of the Chinese Communist Party ahead of next year’s presidential election, it said.
“Hsia should use the opportunity to tell China to stop its military threats against Taiwan and not make the life of ordinary people difficult. He should convey the Taiwanese resolve to pursue democracy and freedom,” it said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
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
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