Chinese 結果共504筆

Presidential candidate Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) has proposed several cultural initiatives to strengthen the rights of various ethnic groups in Taiwan. He emphasized that Taiwan’s composition is primarily a result of self-identification among different groups, with 67% identifying as Fujianese, 19% as Hakka, 5% from various Chinese provinces, 2% indigenous Taiwanese, and 8% as ＂new residents＂ including migrant workers, professionals, new immigrants, second-generation immigrants, and foreign university students. Ko advocated for Taiwan to become a melting pot for diverse ethnic groups and proposed a law against ethnic discrimination. Specifically addressing the Hakka community, he unveiled proposals to preserve Hakka culture and position Taiwan as a global hub for Hakka society. Ko also presented policies to support Taiwan’s indigenous populations, including granting more rights and establishing tribal self-governance councils.

Taipei was filled with political debate as Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je criticized Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te over his family home’s illegal construction. Ko questioned why Lai’s illegal buildings were not demolished like his mother’s and former legislator Huang Kuo-chang’s. This controversy emerged after the formation of the TPP-KMT alliance, which Lai publicly criticized as a blatant power grab. Lai argued that the alliance does not represent Taiwan’s mainstream public opinion and accused the candidates of lacking national security protection and comprehensive national plans. Ko retaliated by claiming that the DPP’s election strategy relies solely on rallying the Chinese Communist Party. This ongoing dispute between the two parties intensifies as they compete for control of Taiwan’s political future. In response to Lai’s criticisms, Ko admitted that they cannot guarantee being the best choice for Taiwan but questioned why Lai considers himself the better option. As the election approaches, this war of words further strains Taiwan’s domestic politics.

Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterates his stance on the ＂Taiwan issue＂ to U.S. President Joe Biden during their 2.5-hour conversation at the Filoli Estate in San Francisco. Xi urges the U.S. to take concrete actions demonstrating non-support for Taiwan independence, halt arms supply to Taiwan, and support China’s peaceful reunification. He presents the U.S. with two choices: strengthen unity for global challenges or retain a zero-sum mentality that leads to instability and division. Xi believes conflicts are unmanageable and emphasizes China’s development promotes rejuvenation without exporting ideologies or plans to overthrow the U.S. He warns against suppressing and containing China’s ambitions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden met in San Francisco, where Xi denied plans for military action against Taiwan in 2027 or 2035. The leaders discussed the significance of Taiwan in U.S.-China relations, with Biden emphasizing the U.S.’s commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Xi stated the importance of seeking broader solutions while dispelling speculations of military action, asserting that there is no such plan.

The story discusses the statements made by John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council, regarding the United States’ stance on Taiwan’s independence and the desire to avoid conflict over the island. Kirby emphasized that the U.S. does not support Taiwan’s independence and does not want to see a unilateral change in Taiwan’s status quo, particularly through the use of force. He expressed hope that President Joe Biden would continue to convey to Chinese President Xi Jinping that the U.S. will adhere to the Taiwan Relations Act and assist Taiwan in maintaining its self-defense capabilities. The article also mentions that Biden and Xi held bilateral talks, their second face-to-face meeting since November, and that Biden would discuss concerns about China’s non-interference in Taiwanese elections. It remains unclear whether Biden will meet with Taiwanese APEC representative Morris Chang at the summit.

Taipei’s National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo has announced plans for a face-to-face meeting between APEC representative Morris Chang and US President Joe Biden. The Taiwanese government aims to secure this meeting, which comes amid ongoing discussions on various issues between Washington and Beijing, including those related to Taiwan. Koo hinted at potential disagreements and counterclaims between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, highlighting the sensitive nature of the meeting. However, Koo stated that Chang has not been tasked with delivering greetings or messages from Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen to Xi, emphasizing the importance of natural interactions.

The National Health Insurance Committee will discuss using non-anticipated risk funds and the insurance reserve fund in Taiwan on November 15, according to the National Health Insurance Administration Director-General. The insurance premium rate is expected to remain unchanged in 2024. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on all sectors, including traditional Chinese medicine, which reported increased medical expenses in the first two quarters of 2023. Western medicine also experienced a drop in the second quarter. The insurance reserve fund is projected to reach 1.97 months by the end of 2023, higher than the previous estimate of 1.5 months, largely due to a government budget allocation of NT＄24 billion.

Recent events in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait have heightened regional tensions, with a clash between Chinese and Philippine vessels and China’s aggressive posturing towards Taiwan’s sovereignty, raising concerns ahead of the Biden-Xi meeting.

Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, reassures the nation of the U.S.’ consistent support ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden’s scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco on November 15. Wu states that Taiwan is likely to be a topic of discussion in the meeting and that the Foreign Ministry is closely monitoring relevant information. The Biden-Xi meeting will take place on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and will be their first face-to-face conversation since last November. Wu also addresses rumors about Taiwan’s representative to the U.S., Hsiao Bi-khim, potentially becoming the running mate for Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential candidate Lai Ching-Te, stating that the Ministry cannot answer election-related matters. However, Wu assures the public that personnel changes in diplomatic positions are routine and do not impact Taiwan’s relations with the U.S.

Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang exercises, the country’s largest war games since 1984, aim to ensure combat readiness in the event of a Chinese invasion. Recent exercises have led the military to speculate that the northern areas of Taiwan could be a targeted point for a Chinese attack. The Tamsui River is analyzed as a potential point of entry for the People’s Liberation Army, as it provides access to critical regions like Hsinchu, Taoyuan, and Taipei. Public officials have demanded live-fire drills at the river mouth to inspect defense capabilities. However, conducting such drills poses challenges due to the densely populated area and existing operations of a nearby port. The use of explosives in the river could leave sediments that are difficult to track. Defense strategies require a comprehensive understanding of their effects, and alternative strategies are being considered to bolster defense in northern Taiwan.

DPP chairman and presidential candidate Lai Ching-te has proposed including mainland Chinese students in Taiwan’s healthcare system, citing medical human rights and the strengthening of the epidemic prevention system. Lai’s plan, which treats mainland Chinese students as international students and includes them in the National Health Insurance (NHI) system, has faced objections from some party legislators. However, Lai has stated that after providing necessary clarification, fellow party members have generally accepted the idea. Lai has emphasized the human rights perspective of his proposal and distinguished it from criticism of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) for nominating a legislator connected with China. Lai believes that including mainland Chinese students in the NHI system will make the healthcare network more comprehensive, especially after three years of pandemic prevention efforts.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week 2023 in San Francisco will be a significant event for Taiwan. The country’s main focuses during the summit include the U.S-China leaders’ talks, the possibility of meetings between U.S. President Joe Biden and TSMC Founder Morris Chang, progress on U.S-Taiwan trade negotiations, and Taiwan’s potential participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). President Biden is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss trade, Taiwan, the U.S.-China tech war, and PLA activities in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan officials are also working towards arranging a meeting between Chang and Biden. While the first agreement under the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade has been signed, the second round of negotiations is not progressing as expected. Taiwan’s Minister Without Portfolio John Deng hopes to meet with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai during the summit to confirm progress. Additionally, Taiwan will likely use the APEC summit as an opportunity to hold bilateral talks with CPTPP members to garner support for its admission to the trade pact.

National Taiwan University (NTU) has dropped from 19th to 21st in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings in Asia. Peking University in China maintains its top position. Two other Taiwanese universities, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) and National Tsing Hua University (NTHU), also slipped in the rankings. The top ten universities in the QS Asia rankings are Peking University, Hong Kong University, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, Fudan University, Yonsei University, Korea University, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The QS World University Rankings are influential in the global academic world and are used by potential students and educational policymakers.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet in San Francisco on November 15, with Taiwan as a key focus of their discussions, according to an expert from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). The meeting agenda includes four main issues: Taiwan, fentanyl containment, Israel-Hamas conflict, and climate change response. It is expected that Xi will seek Biden’s reiteration of the United States’ stance against Taiwan’s independence, as Beijing considers Taiwan a part of China and opposes its independence. Additionally, Xi may anticipate Biden’s affirmation that the U.S. does not favor any specific political party in the Taiwan presidential elections. This summit marks a direct face-to-face dialogue between the leaders since their talks during the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2022.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping after the U.S.-China talks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Kishida plans to meet with Xi the day after U.S. President Joe Biden’s meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss unresolved issues between Japan and China, including Japan’s request for China to remove import restrictions on Japanese seafood products. Additionally, the dialogue aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation and promote regional stability. Japan’s National Security Secretariat Secretary General Akiba Takeo will travel to China for coordination efforts. The APEC summit, which includes leaders from 21 member countries, will take place in San Francisco from November 15 to 17.

Taiwanese health authorities plan to include Chinese students in the island’s health insurance starting from the 2024 school year, according to Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan. Currently, international students must wait six months after arriving in Taiwan to be eligible for health insurance. The reform was prompted by concerns from Paraguay about the health rights of its students in Taiwan and was supported by Vice President Lai Ching-te, who advocated for equal treatment of Chinese students. Currently, international students with a residence permit and six months of residency in Taiwan can apply for health insurance at a cost of NT$826 per person per month. The Ministry of Health and Welfare, along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Mainland Affairs Council, has been considering this measure for some time and has evaluated its financial impact. The inclusion of Chinese students in the health insurance program will require adjustments to premiums for all international students, but the overall impact is expected to be minimal. The new measure will not apply to students who are in Taiwan for short periods and not pursuing a degree. However, it could be implemented as early as September 2024 for international students with a residence permit. Despite a halt on Chinese students coming to Taiwan since 2020, 378 students registered in 2022. The peak of Chinese students in Taiwan was in 2016, with a total of 41,975 students.

The Taipei High Administrative Court ruled in favor of indigenous Atayal tribesman Bawtu Payen, allowing him to register his Romanized name at a household registration office in Luzhou. The court upheld the constitutional right of indigenous people to determine their names and stated that refusing to allow the Romanized version of indigenous names infringes upon this right. Payen had previously been denied using his Romanized tribal name on his ID card, prompting him to take the case to the administrative court. This is the first ruling in favor of an indigenous person registering their tribal name in Roman letters. The Ministry of the Interior respected the ruling and has been considering allowing indigenous people to register in their traditional names or Roman pinyin since February 2022. Payen argued that forcing indigenous people to write their names in Chinese infringes upon their cultural identity and naming rights, emphasizing the historical and socio-cultural significance tribal names hold for indigenous groups.

The National Security Bureau (NSB) of Taiwan is actively investigating polling companies suspected of having strong ties with China and engaging in illicit financial activities. Concerns have been raised about potential Chinese intervention in the upcoming 2024 general elections. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) has been accused of attempting to influence election results by inviting pro-Kuomintang (KMT) commentators and polling officials to China. There are reports of generative AI technologies being used to spread disinformation through edited viral clips, potentially impacting the elections. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators have called for offensive counter-espionage techniques to combat these opposing forces. The NSB is working to trace the origins of these financial flows and is closely monitoring the situation. The NSB has also warned that legal action will be taken if any manipulative activity or election fraud is detected.

The Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR) will host the ＂2023 Taipei Security Dialogue＂ on November 8th. Former U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Michele Flournoy, and former U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor, Matthew Pottinger, will discuss the collective intimidation faced by Indo-Pacific nations. The event will feature virtual speeches focusing on measuring risks and situations in the Taiwan Strait. Scholars and experts from 10 countries, including the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Czech Republic, and Japan, have been invited to address China’s challenges to global order and democracy. The dialogue will cover six themes, such as the Russo-Ukrainian War’s lessons and strategies for deterring China, implications for cross-strait relations, Chinese military and technological development, China’s global expansion, and a strategic environmental assessment of China. President Tsai Ing-wen is also scheduled to deliver a speech at the event.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesperson, Jeff Liu, urged Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to oppose any changes to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait to China. Taiwan hopes that Australia will defend its shared interests and values with Taiwan while maintaining stable relations with China. This comes after Albanese’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who claimed that China does not engage in exclusivist blocs or confrontational politics. MOFA disagreed with this statement, citing China’s behavior in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Liu emphasized the shared interests of Taiwan and Australia in upholding freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and ensuring peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. He also highlighted the common Trans-Pacific Partnership interests between the two nations. Liu further noted the steady development of relations between Taiwan and Australia, with Taiwan becoming Australia’s fifth-largest trading partner and fourth-largest export market, while Australia is Taiwan’s leading supplier of energy and mineral resources.

Richard Chang, a prominent figure in Taiwanese basketball, has been appointed as the inaugural president of the P. LEAGUE+. This restructuring marks a new era for the league, which aims to elevate its status with Chang’s extensive experience and business acumen. Chang, who has a background in national player experience and commercial governance, is expected to lead the league into version 2.0. He played for McDonald’s in Taiwan and represented the Chinese Taipei men’s national basketball team in the 1980s. Additionally, Chang has worked for over 30 years at Costco Wholesale Inc., where he currently serves as the president of its Asian division.

The Taipei International Travel Fair concluded with attendees taking advantage of travel deals. Industry experts believe that high travel costs are inevitable due to factors such as flight recovery, labor shortage, and inflation. Japan, a popular destination for Taiwanese tourists, also faces similar challenges. The weakening Japanese Yen has led to more domestic travel, increasing competition for hotel rooms. The imbalance between supply and demand has contributed to rising travel costs. To alleviate financial pressures, experts suggest taking advantage of fair benefits and choosing low-cost airlines. For those interested in traveling to Western countries, transferring through Chinese airports may offer relatively lower ticket prices.

Taiwan’s Minister of Education, Pan Wen-chung, has announced plans to review universities’ proposals to adjust their departmental structures in February and March next year. Pan emphasized the importance of cultivating talents in the humanities, social sciences, and engineering for the nation’s development, regardless of the current industrial state. Concerns have arisen over the potential closure of Shih Hsin University’s Department of Chinese Literature by the 2025 academic year and rumors of Aletheia University’s Department of Taiwanese Literature ceasing operations. Pan stated that universities have the right to ponder their future development and adjust departments, but changes should be approved by university board meetings and involve adequate communication within university governance. Additionally, the Ministry of Education has launched an initiative allowing university students to earn credits in areas of interest and have them documented in their diplomas. According to the Ministry’s statistics, there were a total of 846 arts and humanities departments among bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in the 2024 academic year. During the period from 2020 to 2024, 65 new departments were established, 45 stopped recruiting, and nine merged.

A paper published by the Washington-based think tank Global Taiwanese Institute reveals findings of mainstream public opinion on Taiwanese defense. The paper, titled ＂Conversations with the Taiwanese about Taiwan’s Defense,＂ shows that 70 percent of Taiwanese are willing to fight in the event of a Chinese invasion, while 20 percent would leave and 10 percent would choose to surrender. The results are based on conversations conducted by Taiwanese-American U.S. Air Force captain Jimmy Chien during his six-week stay in Taiwan, which included discussions with university students and retirees. Chien’s research challenges the perception that increased military strength and pressure from China could lead to military action, as most Taiwanese do not consider this a likely scenario. He argues that Taiwanese people believe China must first address its domestic affairs before resorting to force against Taiwan. Chien also notes that Taiwanese people are aware that the U.S. military is unlikely to deploy troops in the event of a war, and therefore hope to receive non-combat aid, such as supplies and maintenance, from the U.S. as a show of support in battling enemy forces.

The National Security Bureau (NSB) chief Tsai Ming-yen has announced that Mainland Chinese spouses who accept funding from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will be handed over to judicial authorities. Tsai stated that while he respects the activities of Mainland Chinese spouses in Taiwan as long as they are legal, he urged vigilance in monitoring collaborations with united front work operations, activities with political objectives, and accepting funding from the CCP and its organizations in Taiwan. He emphasized that if there is concrete evidence, individuals will be handed over to judicial authorities. The potential inclusion of mainland China-born Xu Chunying in the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) at-large legislative candidate list has raised national security concerns. Xu claims to no longer carry any Chinese status and therefore believes she is not obligated to observe its laws. Tsai did not publicly comment on Xu’s case. In other news, Tsai stated that the case involving Democratic Progressive Party legislator Chao Tien-lin’s alleged extramarital affair partner being a spy is now in the courts for examination. Tsai respects the outcome of the investigation and refrained from further commenting as the case has entered judicial proceedings.