Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Japan on the alert over China’s ocean movements

Taipei Times

China Coast Guard vessels have been passing by Japanese-claimed waters for weeks in the East China Sea and China’s warships have been edging near Japan’s southwestern islands over the past few days, Japanese officials said.

A fleet of four China Coast Guard vessels on Thursday passed just outside of the territorial waters of Japan-controlled islands, which Beijing and Taiwan also claim, for the 49th day in a row, the Japan Coast Guard said.

It said it warned China’s vessels against further approaching the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台群島) — known as the Senkakus in Japan.

DPP lawmaker urges cyberdefense priority

Taipei Times

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) yesterday said he would prioritize legislation to clarify the definition of being “at war,” and which government agencies are to be in charge when the nation comes under cyberattacks.

Taiwan needs to improve in such mechanisms, and both the Ministry of National Defense (MND) and the Ministry of Digital Affairs (MDA) have stated that they are unsure who would be in charge of cyberattacks and defense if the nation is at war, he said.

The endeavor would involve many ministries and departments, Shen said, suggesting that the Executive Yuan take the lead and coordinate between government agencies while he helps set the overall direction and draft special laws.

China ‘cheats’ to lead in tech: official

Taipei Times

China has sought to “cheat” and “steal” its way to matching Taiwan in chip technology, but has yet to succeed despite investing huge sums, Representative to the US Alexander Yui said on Wednesday, while holding out the prospect of more Taiwanese semiconductor investment in the US.

In an interview with Reuters, Yui, who arrived in Washington in December last year, cast doubt on reports that China’s chipmakers are on the cusp of making next-generation smartphone processors, and refuted charges by former US president Donald Trump, the leading Republican candidate for the US presidential election in November, that Taiwan was taking American semiconductor jobs.

Beijing shoots itself in the foot

Tzou Jiing-wen 鄒景雯

On Jan. 26 and 27, following the Jan. 13 presidential election, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅), a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), in Bangkok. Sullivan and Wang agreed to arrange a call between Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Joe Biden in the spring. The two sides had different things to say about the Taiwan issue. Wang issued a news release reiterating that “the Taiwan question is China’s internal affair” and “Taiwan independence poses the biggest risk to cross-strait peace and stability.”

Beijing has repeated such deceitful and boastful mantras so many times, their effect on the Chinese is wearing off, to say nothing of the Taiwanese. China accused former presidents Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) of supporting Taiwanese independence, and President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has faced the same accusation. Last year a Chinese government spokesman and opposition figures in Taiwan called Vice President William Lai (賴清德) a “golden child of Taiwanese independence.”

More Articles...