It is China’s “priority” to stop Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate, from visiting the US next month, China’s ambassador in Washington said on Wednesday, as Beijing steps up its warnings against the trip.
In most opinion polls Lai is the front-runner of the presidential election, which is to be held in January.
Lai is making what are officially stopovers in the US on his way to and from Paraguay for the inauguration of its new president on Aug. 15, and it is drawing anger from Beijing which calls Lai “a separatist.”
Photo: Xinhua via AP
Chinese ambassador Xie Feng (謝鋒) told the Aspen Security Forum that “Taiwan is China’s Taiwan” and that the country wanted a peaceful “reunification,” but Taiwanese “separatists” were advancing their agenda, seeking US support.
“They even do not admit they are Chinese. So this is a very dangerous path they are taking,” Xie said.
“Provocative” moves by Taiwan “separatists” should be contained, he said. “Now the priority for us is to stop William Lai Ching-te from visiting the US, which is like a grey rhino charging at us.”
A “grey rhino” event refers to a highly obvious yet ignored threat.
Defense ministry said that on Thursday it had detected 22 Chinese warplanes around Taiwan, some of which crossed the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait, while seven Chinese warships carried out “combat readiness patrols.”
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and the government have repeatedly offered talks with China but been rejected, as Beijing views them as separatists. Both President Tsai and Vice President Lai say only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.
American Institute in Taiwan Director Sandra Oudkirk said on Wednesday that there was no reason for China to take “provocative” action in response to Lai’s stopovers in the US, and that such transits have happened for many years and are routine.
In August last year and then again in April this year, China staged large-scale war games around Taiwan, as responses to a visit to Taiwan of then-US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Tsai in April meeting US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles, while she was transiting back from a visit to Central America.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
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