Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Filling Pacific islands banking gap

Fang Kai-hung 方凱弘

China has been rapidly expanding its banking operations in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in the context of a gradual withdrawal by Western banks.

For example, after Australia’s Bendigo and Adelaide Bank announced its plan to withdraw from Nauru, Bank of China, which has opened offices across the region, signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with the Nauruan government. This quick reaction raises worries that China might have a broader hidden agenda.

The withdrawal of Western banks is partly due to increasingly stringent financial supervision requirements.

KMT, TPP are instigating crisis

Taipei Times Editorial

The first session of the 11th Legislative Yuan’s four-year term ended on Tuesday, and 55 bills were passed in the session, which is the fewest bills passed in one session in 12 years.

However, Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) said the session delivered a “very good result,” despite there being fights and arguments in this break-in session for many newly elected legislators.

In the last two days of the session, lawmakers rushed to pass a slew of resolutions and bills, mainly proposed by opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) legislators, who have a combined majority in the legislature.

Lai talks sovereignty at DPP congress

Taipei Times

Taiwanese have the right to build a democratic, sovereign nation based on the protection of human rights and freedom, President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday said in his keynote address at the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) National Congress in Taipei.

Lai, who is also the DPP’s chairman, presented three key tasks for party members to focus on: bolstering national identity based on Taiwan sovereignty, deepening democratic values based on the constitutional framework and safeguarding human rights and freedom.

“Voters have handed the heavy responsibility of governing this country to the DPP, because they wish for the DPP to continue leading Taiwan into the future,” Lai said.

Show no leniency for Chinese spies

Taipei Times Editorial

The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau intends to investigate allegations of Chinese infiltration through a third-party committee, sources said on July 4.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is increasingly using Taiwan’s democracy and freedom against it, recruiting Taiwanese for espionage and interfering in Taiwan’s elections through influence campaigns, bureau Director-General Chen Pai-li (陳白立) said.

Suspects in such trials are regularly acquitted due to lack of evidence and difficulty tracing funds back to the CCP.

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