The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is stepping up efforts to sow discord in Taiwan by conducting military exercises and inciting distrust of the US, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report to the legislature on Tuesday.
NSB Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) and Overseas Community Affairs Council Minister Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) were asked to brief the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Wednesday on how the CCP’s “composite threat” affects Taiwan’s national security.
China has launched military exercises in an attempt to create the impression that Taiwan was on the brink of war after then-US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei in August last year and after President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) stopped over in the US this month, the bureau said.
Beijing has also hyped up issues such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) establishing production facilities in Arizona, claimed that US carriers were “running away” from the newest Chinese aircraft carrier, the Shandong, and propagated reports saying that “the US is abandoning Taiwan” in an attempt to shake the nation’s faith in the US.
Beijing is stepping up hacking efforts that attack crucial Taiwanese facilities and using the Internet to engage in cognitive warfare, the bureau said.
Beijing is also processing hacked data for redistribution or selling it on the dark net to attract media attention and, through repeated reporting on such attacks, shake the public’s faith in the government, it said.
Beijing is also attempting to sow discord by promising Taiwanese “benefits” for interacting with China, it said.
Beijing is blaming Taiwan for the deterioration of cross-strait relations, while launching an investigation into Taiwan’s trade policies, which it is expected to extend until next year’s presidential election to sway public opinion, the bureau said.
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
RSS