Civic groups on Thursday sounded the alarm about a bill proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) stating that the Chinese Civil War has never ended and would redefine the Taiwan Strait as an “internal sea.”
Taiwan Economic Democracy Union convener Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強) said the proposal would alter the political situation between Taiwan and China, and blur territorial boundaries.
“It is clear that the KMT is adhering to the Beijing regime’s assertion that ‘Taiwan is an internal Chinese matter’ by trying to establish a legal framework for it,” Lai said.
Photo courtesy of the Ocean Affairs Council
Eighteen KMT and Taiwan People’s Party lawmakers have signed the bill initiated by KMT Legislator Chen Yeong-kang (陳永康) to amend Article 29 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), Lai said.
The change would transfer jurisdiction of the seas around Kinmen and Lienchiang counties from the Ministry of National Defense to the Ocean Affairs Council.
It would also permit local officials in the counties to negotiate directly with the Chinese government on judicial, commercial and administrative issues, potentially even political, Lai said.
Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said the amendment would deter international assistance to Taiwan by making the waters internal territory instead of international waters, lending credence to Beijing’s claims that cross-strait issues are a domestic matter.
Chen defended the proposal before a legislative meeting yesterday, saying it would transfer the responsibility of patrolling restricted waters near Kinmen and Lienchiang from the defense ministry to the Coast Guard Administration, an agency of the Ocean Affairs Council.
Restricted waters, territorial waters and sovereignty are three separate issues that must not be mixed up in the discussion of the bill, he said.
Since the lifting of martial law, the outlying islands mainly have to deal with law enforcement issues, which are the responsibility of the coast guard, rather than defense of the nation’s borders, which falls under the defense ministry’s purview, he said.
He added that there are only “internal waters” and “international waters” in international law, and there is no such thing as “internal seas.”
Additional reporting by Hsieh Chun-lin and CNA
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The Taiwan Experience Education Program (TEEP) has funded short-term internships in Taiwan for more than 4,500 young people from more than 40 countries since 2015, with the goal of attracting and retaining international talent, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. Fifty-five colleges launched 514 projects this year, including in fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, medicine and biotechnology, green energy, and sustainability, it said. The program provides research and practical internships in Taiwan for two to six months, and offers cultural exchange and networking opportunities, the ministry said. For example, National Formosa University’s Embedded System and Autopilot Laboratory developed two solar-powered drones in
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
Taipei resident Mu Chu-hua caught some glimpses of China’s mighty military parade on YouTube on Wednesday. As she watched hypersonic missiles roll down Beijing’s Changan Avenue and troops march in lockstep, she did not feel like they posed a threat to Taiwan. Mu, a 69-year-old retiree, said she saw the parade as simply a way for Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to “say thank you to the troops.” “I thought it was quite normal,” she said. “It was very cool.” China’s military parade commemorating the end of World War II was being watched internationally for insights into Beijing’s military advances and its show
RSS