Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

US’ flag removal points at real shift

Taipei Times Editorial

The removal of the Republic of China (ROC) flag from the Web sites of several US government agencies has raised concerns about whether one of Taiwan’s most strategically important allies is slipping away amid pressure from China.

On Wednesday, the Chinese-language United Daily News reported that the ROC flag, which until recently was displayed on pages about Taiwan on the Web sites of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs and the US Trade Representative, had disappeared.

NTU president-elect accused of fraud

Taipei Times

National Taiwan University president-elect Kuan Chung-ming speaks in Taipei on Jan. 7.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

National Taiwan University (NTU) president-elect Kuan Chung-ming (管中閔) has been accused of plagiarizing a students paper in a conference paper he coauthored with National Chi Nan University professor Chen Chien-liang (陳建良), Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chang Liao Wan-chien (張廖萬堅) told a news conference in Taipei yesterday.

Taiwan must focus on ‘hard power’

Liberty Times Editorial

The US House of Representatives earlier this month unanimously passed the Taiwan Travel Act, which stipulates that the US government should encourage US-Taiwan visits at all levels. It is no surprise that Beijing is not happy about this development, but for the act to become law, it needs to be passed by the US Senate and then signed by US President Donald Trump.

The Senate’s version of act was proposed in May last year. The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2018 signed by Trump suggested naval port of call exchanges between the US and Taiwan, leading the Chinese ambassador to the US to warn: If a US warship arrives in Taiwan, China will activate its “Anti-Secession” Law.

US government removes ROC flag from Web sites

Taipei Times

A composite image shows the Taiwan entry under the “countries and regions” tab on the Web site of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs before and after the Republic of China flag was removed.
Screen grab from the Bureau of Consular Affairs’ Web site

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday expressed its disappointment over the removal of the Republic of China (ROC) flag from several US government Web sites, saying it has conveyed its grave concerns to Washington.

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