China Angers Taiwan - Taiwan Angers China

[Randy W]

China to Prosecute Taiwanese in Fraud Case Despite Acquittals in Kenya

This image has been in the news here

An ongoing topic - click here for Most Recent Post

 

 

 

 

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The Chinese government announced on Wednesday that a group of Taiwanese citizens who were deported to China from Kenya would be prosecuted on charges of telecommunications fraud despite having been acquitted of the same charges by a Kenyan court this month.

The move escalated a diplomatic battle that has outraged Taiwan, which sees the deportation of its citizens to China as an extrajudicial abduction. The case has also raised international legal questions and involved Kenya in the geopolitical maneuvering between China and Taiwan.

The Taiwanese citizens arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, hooded and handcuffed, after being forced onto a plane by Kenyan police officers. Taiwanese legislators accused the Kenyan government of violating international law and its own laws to placate China.

 

 

 

 

These guys were deported by Malaysia to Taiwan

 

Taiwan angers China by releasing 20 deported telecom fraud suspects

 

 

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Taiwan angered Beijing on Saturday by freeing 20 suspects in a telecom fraud case linked to China that has put more pressure on the sensitive relationship between the two countries.

Malaysia had deported the 20 people, who were part of a group of 53 Taiwanese arrested there in March on suspicion of fraud, according to the Taipei foreign ministry.

Taiwan's Executive Yuan spokesman Sun Lih-chyun told Reuters there was no legal reason to detain them.

"The evidence is not with us. It is with China," he said, noting that Taipei has been talking to Chinese counterparts on the matter so investigations can begin on the self-ruled island.

The decision was not welcomed by China.

 

Edited November 6, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

in the Global Times

Beijing warns Taipei after Tsai discussed ‘independence’ in interviews

Adhering to the 1992 Consensus, which stresses the one-China principle, is not negotiable, said An Fengshan, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, commenting on Tsai's latest remarks to The Wall Street Journal.

An stressed that the mainland and Taiwan belong to the same China, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

"Our position is steadfast on opposing any 'Taiwan-independence' activities. Any forces and any people should not underestimate the resolution of more than 1.3 billion people on the mainland," the spokesman said.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, Tsai said Taiwan is "a sovereign, independent country."

She pledged to avoid confrontation with the mainland, saying that both sides should sit down to eliminate misunderstanding, without any preconditions.

"I also hope that [the Chinese mainland] does not misinterpret or misjudge the current situation, or think that it can make Taiwanese bow to pressure … No administration in Taiwan is able to make any decision that goes against the opinion of the people," the female leader said.

. . .

If Tsai persists in further promoting "Taiwan independence," the mainland will take economic countermeasures, which are expected to deliver heavy blows to the already difficult economy on the island, and military preparation, Jin noted

Edited October 8, 2016 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Someone needs to TELL China that their "province" is under a CONSTANT threat of invasion by external forces. What can be done to help ALLEVIATE this threat?

By dispatching 149 warplanes near Taiwan island since Oct 1, the PLA sent strong warning to Taiwan secessionists and their foreign supporters. More will come as the PLA stands ready to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity: experts https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202110/1235639.shtml

from the Global Times on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/globaltimesnews/posts/4531885893558942

 

[Randy W]

U.S. Troops Have Been Deployed in Taiwan for at Least a Year

Small presence of Americans secretly training local forces marks concern over China’s yearslong military buildup and recent moves

from the WSJ

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A U.S. special-operations unit and a contingent of Marines have been secretly operating in Taiwan to train military forces there, U.S. officials said, part of efforts to shore up the island’s defenses as concern regarding potential Chinese aggression mounts.

About two dozen members of U.S. special-operations and support troops are conducting training for small units of Taiwan’s ground forces, the officials said. The U.S. Marines are working with local maritime forces on small-boat training. The American forces have been operating in Taiwan for at least a year, the officials said.

The U.S. special-operations deployment is a sign of concern within the Pentagon over Taiwan’s tactical capabilities in light of Beijing’s yearslong military buildup and recent threatening moves against the island.

Taiwan and U.S. officials have expressed alarm over nearly 150 flights near Taiwan in the past week by Chinese military aircraft. The Chinese aircraft have included J-16 jet fighters, H-6 strategic bombers and Y-8 submarine-spotting aircraft and have set a record for such sorties, according to the Taiwan government.

The Chinese flights, while not entering the area Taiwan defines as its airspace, have been a reminder of the Communist Party’s view of Taiwan as a part of China. Beijing has vowed to take control of the island by force if necessary. Top U.S. military officials testified earlier this year that Beijing is likely to try to use force in its designs on Taiwan within the next six years. Other officials have said China’s timeline could be sooner than that.

Taiwan’s defense minister, Chiu Kuo-cheng, warned Wednesday that China would be able to launch a full-scale attack on Taiwan with minimal losses by 2025.

 

 

Edited November 6, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

The complete reunification of China is irresistible as the mainland is taking concrete measures to punish secessionists. Those who attempt to split the island of Taiwan from the motherland would have no place to hide, and will face a life-long pursuit for their crimes. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202111/1238234.shtml

from the Global Times on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/globaltimesnews/posts/4632636926817171

Mainland slaps punishment for diehard Taiwan secessionists; detailed measures showcase reunification irresistible

By GT staff reporters
Published: Nov 05, 2021 09:35 PM

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The Chinese mainland on Friday announced specific measures to punish diehard secessionists from the island of Taiwan, including prohibiting them and their families from entering the mainland and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, and restricting their associated institutions from cooperating with organizations and individuals in the mainland for economic benefits, and they will be persecuted for life long for criminal liability. 

Experts said the move on Friday is just the beginning to hold secessionists accountable, and shows that the complete reunification of the country is irresistible as the mainland is taking concrete measures on laws to remove obstacles. Those who attempt to split the island of Taiwan from the motherland would have no place to hide, and will face a life-long pursuit for their crimes. 

Aside from entry ban, we would not allow the companies or paymasters of these diehard secessionists to profit from Chinese mainland, and will also take other measures to punish them, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, told a press conference on Friday. 

Zhu named three secessionists - Soo Tsing-tshiong, You Si-kun and Joseph Wu - saying that a few of the secessionists on the island have been hyping cross-Straits confrontations, maliciously attacking the mainland, colluding with foreign forces to split China, severely affecting  cross-Straits stability, and damaging the Chinese people's interests.

Zhu did not note the name of Taiwan's regional leader Tsai Ing-wen on Friday and neither did she said whether Tsai is on the list. 

 . . .

Calling the names of the diehard secessionists of the island of Taiwan and carrying out measures to punish them is just the beginning and the Chinese people would give no mercy in dealing with the scum who forget their heritage and betray the motherland, Junzhengping studio affiliated to the PLA Daily said in a commentary released soon after the press conference of the Taiwan Affairs Office. 

 . . .

Some people openly advocate secession in Taiwan, but their relatives have been operating businesses in the Chinese mainland for many years. Some Taiwan businessmen have never prevented their relatives from pursuing secession or anti-mainland activities, said Shaw Chong-hai, a columnist and former head of the school of social sciences at Chinese Culture University in Taiwan. 

 . . .

No place to hide

Zhu also pointed out that the secessionists of the island of Taiwan would be persecuted for criminal liability, valid for life, which experts said highlights the mainland's resolve for reunification, and there will be no place to hide for those impenitent secessionists. 

The limitation of prosecution in the Criminal Law is usually beyond 20 years, while a lifelong period for secessionists on the island of Taiwan, which shows that no matter where these secessionists hide and no matter how long they hide after reunification, they would be hunted down, an expert on Anti-Secession Law, who asked for anonymity, told the Global Times. 

The expert noted that the measures only target a few secessionists. Those who have been coerced or have not been engaged in secession would be spared.

This is also the first time for the Chinese mainland to take punitive measures against secessionists since the diehard Taiwan secessionists list was unveiled by Hong Kong media in 2020. It would not only deter secessionists but also isolate them from residents in the island, said the expert, noting that more detailed measures on the island of Taiwan are expected to be carried out to promote reunification of the motherland. 

Some mainland experts said releasing the list of diehard Taiwan secessionists is a warning, and slapping sanctions on them shows a warning is not empty words. And the Chinese mainland has moved from warning Taiwan secessionists to punishing and crushing them with concrete action, and there will be more such moves in the future. 

The sanctions against diehard Taiwan secessionists are currently limited to the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao SARs, but experts say the scope is very likely to be expanded.

It was not ruled out that the mainland may extend its accountability to any place where Taiwan secessionists go. In the short term, the mainland can restrict secessionists from taking various means of transport in the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao SARs.

A few diehard secessionists, like Soo Tsing-tshiong and You Si-kun, immediately responded to mainland, calling the sanctions "medals of honor." But their courage may only be words, and they will remain scared as their relatives who have relations with the mainland would also be influenced, experts said.  

In response to calls from some mainland people for sanctions against Taiwan's regional leader Tsai Ing-wen, experts said the mainland is still leaving some room to create a window for peace. 

If Tsai faces reality and refrains from making provocations, she is less likely to be added to the sanctions list. But if she acts more aggressively, then things will be different, Wang said. 

The mainland's sanctions are an important measure to break the calculation of the US and DPP authority as the DPP pushes for status quo secession and the US wants to create "one China, one Taiwan" to contain the rise of China, experts said.

 

 

[Randy W]

PLA Eastern Theater Command conducts combat readiness patrol near Taiwan Straits in response to secessionist activities
By GT staff reporters
Published: Nov 09, 2021 10:06 PM Updated: Nov 10, 2021 02:35 PM

PLA conducts drills near Taiwan island and sends warplanes in response to secessionist activities Graphic: Feng Qingyin/GT

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Taiwan is part of Chinese territory, and this drill is targeted at a certain country's seriously wrong moves and remarks on the Taiwan question and Taiwan secessionists' activities, and is a necessary measure to safeguard the country's sovereignty, Shi said. 

The command will stay on high alert, take necessary measures and strike back on any move that endangers China's core interests and any provocation that threatens the peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, and firmly safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, said Shi. 

Defense authority of Taiwan said on Tuesday night that six PLA aircraft, namely four J-16 fighter jets, a Y-8 reconnaissance aircraft and a Y-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft, entered the island's self-proclaimed southwest air defense identification zone on Tuesday. 

Observers said that since Senior Colonel Shi said the operation was a joint one involving the coordinated actions of multiple service arms and branches, there must have been other forces in addition to the aircraft the Taiwan defense authorities had announced, like warships of the PLA Navy.

 

 

 

[Randy W]

and Lithuania gets caught in the crosshairs (these three articles have all been posted in the last 3 days)

from Al Jazeera
Taiwan opens Lithuania office as China condemns ‘egregious’ move
New office a further sign countries in eastern Europe willing to deepen cooperation with Taiwan despite China’s threats.

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"I think it is a wake up call in many ways, especially for fellow Europeans to understand that if you want to defend democracy you have to stand up for it," Lithuanian vice minister of foreign affairs Arnoldas Pranckevičius told a security forum in Washington.

In order for Europe to be credible in the world and as a partner for the United States, it has to "get its act together vis-à-vis China," Pranckevičius said.

"China is trying to make an example out of us - a negative example, so that other countries don't necessarily follow that path, and therefore it is a matter of principle how the Western community, the United States, and European Union reacts," he said.

 

from Al Jazeera
Lithuania says its rocky ties with China are a 'wake up call' for Europe

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In August, China demanded Lithuania withdraw its ambassador to Beijing and said it would recall China’s envoy in Vilnius after Taiwan announced the name for the office. Its outposts elsewhere in the world are usually called Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices, with China chafing at any use of the word Taiwan for fear it lends a sense of legitimacy to the island.

China responded angrily to Thursday’s opening and threatened unspecified consequences.

 

and the Hindustan Times
Lithuania will ‘pay for what it did’, says China after it forges ties with Taiwan

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China on Friday said Lithuania will “pay for what it did”, a day after the tiny Baltic nation of 2.8 million people allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in the capital.

“Lithuania only has itself to blame, it will have to pay for what it did,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Friday.

China’s reaction followed after Lithuania allowed Taipei to open a representative office in the capital, Vilnius, ignoring Beijing’s strong opposition against the move.

 

 

Edited November 21, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Taiwan’s Digital Minister tells Al Jazeera that openness is key to ensuring misinformation does not morph into hatred.

from Al Jazeera English on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera/posts/10160428320873690

Audrey Tang on why tackling misinformation is crucial in pandemic
Taiwan’s digital minister tells Al Jazeera that openness is key to ensuring misinformation does not morph into ‘hatred, vengefulness’.

 

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What kind of examples have you seen in Taiwan?

Tang: In the pre-Covid days, around November 2019, leading up to our 2020 January presidential election, there was trending viral disinformation that talked about – and I quote – “young people in Hong Kong are being paid $20 million to kill the police” end of quote. This is obviously not true, but it’s not trending anywhere else, not in Hong Kong, just in Taiwan, so we saw this kind of message as trying to provoke and change the public discourse in an attempt to influence our presidential election campaigns.

Where did this rumour come from?

Tang: The picture that accompanied this piece of disinformation came from Reuters, but the Reuters journalist did not actually say anything about (protesters) being paid. The original caption simply says that there were teenage protesters, and that’s it. Somebody else supplied the misleading caption and within just a day or so, the Taiwan fact check centre, an independently operated fact-checking service, traced that message back to the Central Political and Law Units, Zhongyang Zhengfawei 中共中央政法委員會, of the PRC (People’s Republic of China) regime and on their Weibo account, no less.

 

 

 

[Randy W]

Don’t ‘play with fire’: Mainland China tells US for inviting Taiwan to democracy summit

 

[Randy W]

And, reaching out to the US for assistance with its own "internal matters", . . .

US lawmakers meet with Taiwan president in surprise visit

Five U.S. lawmakers have met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen during a surprise one-day visit intended to reaffirm the United States' support for the self-governing island

By HUIZHONG WU Associated Press

November 26, 2021, 6:45 PM

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Five U.S. lawmakers met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday in a surprise one-day visit intended to reaffirm the United States' “rock solid” support for the self-governing island.

The bipartisan group of lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives arrived in Taiwan on Thursday night and planned to meet with senior leaders including Tsai, said the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto U.S. embassy. No further details were provided about their itinerary.

 . . .

China was quick to condemn the trip when news first broke Thursday night.

“When news of our trip broke yesterday, my office received a blunt message from the Chinese Embassy, telling me to call off the trip,” Representative Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat who is part of the delegation, wrote on Twitter.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian condemned the visit, calling it a violation of the “one-China principle" under which Taiwan is considered part of China.

“That individual U.S. politicians wantonly challenge the one-China principle and embolden the 'Taiwan independence' forces has aroused the strong indignation of 1.4 billion Chinese people," Zhao said. He added that unification of Taiwan and China is an “unstoppable historical trend.”

Representatives Mark Takano, D-Calif., Colin Allred, D-Texas., Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., and Nancy Mace, R-S.C., are also part of the delegation.

 . . .

“Taiwan will continue to step up cooperation with the United States in order to uphold our shared values of freedom and democracy and to ensure peace and stability in the region,” Tsai said.

The visit is the third by U.S. lawmakers to Taiwan this year and comes just a few weeks after a group of six Republican members of Congress visited the island. That delegation met with President Tsai, National Security Secretary General Wellington Koo and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, among others.

In June, three members of Congress flew to Taiwan to donate badly needed vaccines at a time when the island was struggling to get enough.

 

 

[Randy W]

A Taiwan-based cyberattack group has been launching cyberattacks on the Chinese mainland, targeting Beijing and Fujian in particular. Mainland universities were the main targets: source. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202112/1241007.shtml

from the Global Times on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/115591005188475/posts/4743272049086991/

Exclusive: Taiwan cyberattack group targets Beijing, Fujian

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The analysis report obtained by the Global Times from China's security company ThreatBook on Wednesday showed that the GreenSpot began launching cyberattacks in 2007 and was confirmed in 2013 to be from the island of Taiwan. It mainly targets government agencies, and aerospace and military-related scientific research institutes to steal high-value data and classified information, with spear phishing emails as their preferred method of attack.

GreenSpot launched large-scale targeted phishing attacks on a number of key universities, usually for the purpose of stealing the secret information of target users either to collect intelligence or to release a Trojan horse. The organization relies on phishing emails to send the phishing link.

Cha Han, the manager of the cyber security research response center of security company ThreatBook, told the Global Times the targeted attacks captured by GreenSpot this year are broad in scope. 

Among them, 50 percent were universities, and 15 percent each from scientific researching institutes and government agencies. Its cyberattacks also targeted the aerospace, energy and medical fields. 

 

 

[Randy W]

Mainland China to Taiwan: "You watching?"

【InPics】Two Landing Craft Air Cushions(LCACs) attached to a naval landing ship flotilla under the PLA Southern Theater Command approach the coast during a beach landing training exercise. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202201/1246017.shtml

from the Global Times on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/globaltimesnews/posts/4883133698434158

Air-cushioned landing crafts conduct beach landing training

By China MilitaryPublished: Jan 15, 2022 08:02 PM

(just the pictures as on Facebook)

 

Edited January 16, 2022 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Taiwanese endure sleepless nights, jagged rocks, to join elite frogman force

Watch these Taiwanese soldiers complete the ‘road to heaven’, marking the end of a gruelling 10-week training course and entry into the elite ARP unit, similar to the US Navy SEALS.

from AL Jazeera English on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera/videos/5129189677125703/

 

[Randy W]

Taiwan reports new large-scale Chinese air force incursion

from Reuters
 

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Taiwan on Sunday reported the largest incursion since October by China's air force in its air defence zone, with the island's defence ministry saying Taiwanese fighters scrambled to warn away 39 aircraft in the latest uptick in tensions.

 . . .

The latest Chinese mission included 34 fighters plus four electronic warfare aircraft and a single bomber, the Taiwan ministry said.

The aircraft flew in an area to the northeast of the Pratas, according to a map the ministry provided.

Taiwan sent combat aircraft to warn away the Chinese aircraft, while missile systems were deployed to monitor them, the ministry said.

While it was not clear what might have prompted China to carry out such a large-scale mission, U.S. and Japanese naval forces have been carrying out exercises in the Philippine Sea, a vast area that includes waters to the east of Taiwan.

 

[Randy W]

US approves a $100 million support contract with Taiwan aimed at boosting the island’s missile defence systems amid heightened tensions with China.
Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/8/us-approves-support-deal-for-taiwan-patriot-missiles?fbclid=IwAR0tHLSI0VP68sN4QFS9iolhuMbK5JtM1WYzdnBnY06qer7lMMn_G-9XGjw&sf159754072=1

 

from Al Jazeera English on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera/posts/10160585607428690:0

US approves $100m support deal for Taiwan Patriot missiles
Defence support comes amid heightened tension over the self-ruled democratic island, which Beijing claims as its own.

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The funds would be used to “sustain, maintain, and improve” the self-ruled island’s Patriot missile defence system, the Pentagon said on Monday.

A statement from the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said it had delivered the required certification notifying Congress following State Department approval for the sale, which was requested by Taiwan’s de facto embassy in Washington.

Upgrades to the Patriot Air Defense System would “help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, economic and progress in the region”, the DSCA said in a statement.

“This proposed sale serves US national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient’s continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability,” the agency said.