Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) upcoming visit to China is intended to bolster Cheng’s pro-unification stance within the KMT and create the illusion for US President Donald Trump that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are leaning toward unification, a national security source said yesterday on condition of anonymity.
The source gave two reasons why Beijing decided to schedule Cheng’s trip after Tomb Sweeping Day ahead of the meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), which has been postponed from this month to next month.
First is to create the illusion that Beijing is “entirely in control” of the Taiwan situation, and to foster the impression that Taiwanese support unification, the source said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The trip is meant to send a signal that the US should stop or reduce arms sales to Taiwan, as they are no longer necessary and would only give President William Lai (賴清德) the impetus to use force to pursue Taiwan independence, the source said.
Such a ploy, if successful, would allow Beijing to take a breather, especially in light of China’s faltering economy and the Trump administration flip-flopping on whether to wage an economic war against China, the source said.
The second reason stems from growing support within the KMT to support the special defense budget, the source said.
Given the increasing number of KMT members voicing support for the proposal, US and European political figures expressing support for stronger Taiwanese defense, Beijing is in a hurry to bring Cheng to China to ensure that the KMT does not deviate from its view on the issue, the source said.
If Taiwan were to be seen singing the same tune as Beijing, it would signify to the rest of the world that Taiwanese would rather stand with an authoritarian China and are not averse to being ruled by the Chinese Communist Party, which in turn would affect Taiwan’s international support, the source said.
Over the long term, it would lead to democratic countries worldwide to exclude Taiwan from the global security system, which would spell disaster for global supply chains and collective security, the source said.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
RSS