Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) arrived in Beijing yesterday to attend China’s military parade tomorrow, adding to controversy around Taiwanese politicians participating in official Chinese activities.
China’s parade tomorrow marks the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II and the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
Hung said she has a responsibility to uphold the KMT’s spirit of resistance by attending the parade, as it is the party that overthrew the Qing Dynasty and founded the Republic of China.
Photo: Taipei Times
A national security official said yesterday that Hung, former KMT secretary-general Lee Chien-lung (李乾龍) and KMT Central Standing Committee member Ho Ying-lu (何鷹鷺) might attend the parade.
Participation by high-profile Taiwanese politicians would confuse Taiwan’s international diplomatic image by implying that a mainstream Taiwanese political party acquiesces or agrees with Beijing’s stance on Taiwan, the official said.
Lee yesterday said that he would not attend due to health concerns, while Hung said in a news release that she arrived in Beijing yesterday.
Hung said that the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was a fight for the survival of the Chinese nation, and is a shared history that transcends political parties and provinces.
History must never be forgotten or distorted, she said.
Hung said the trip is merely to pass on historical truths and honor fallen heroes, ensuring that today’s generation does not forget the war’s painful history and national humiliation.
KMT Cultural and Communications Committee chair Lin Kuan-yu (林寬裕) today said that the position of former party officials does not reflect the party’s current position.
Yesterday, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said that legal cross-strait visits by individuals should be allowed, but those who have held high-level public offices must adhere to regulations.
The Mainland Affairs Council today said that if any political party, corporation, organization or individual participates in official activities in China and cooperates with China in any way, such as spreading propaganda, signing agreements or issuing joint statements, they would be punished according to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) and other relevant laws.
The government calls on all citizens to stand united in defending the nation’s sovereignty and not take part in China’s military parade or other related activities, the council said.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS