Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Aso visit and security concerns

The Liberty Times Editorial

Former Japanese prime minister Taro Aso, who attaches great importance to Japan’s partnership with Taiwan, paid a visit to Taiwan last week. When meeting with Vice President William Lai (賴清德), nominated as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate for Taiwan’s presidential election in January, Aso said that China’s expansionism has raised tensions in the Taiwan Strait. He stated that he would like to hear the thoughts of presidential candidates about whether Taiwan is determined to use its strength to defend itself should trouble arise, saying, “We are very concerned about this aspect.” Aso, who also serves as the vice president of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), is the highest-ranking incumbent LDP official to visit Taiwan since Japan severed formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1972.

VP William Lai welcomed in New York

Taipei Times

Vice President William Lai (賴清德) was welcomed by overseas Taiwanese upon his arrival in New York on Saturday evening for a stopover en route to Paraguay.

While still on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Lai was greeted by American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Managing Director Ingrid Larson, as well as Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴).

“Welcome to NYC, Vice President @chingtelai, as you transit en route to Paraguay! I’m glad AIT/W Managing Director Larson can host you and your delegation while I am at my sister’s wedding,” AIT Chair Laura Rosenberger wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

US, Taiwan can tighten cybersecurity

Taipei Times Editorials

Former US undersecretary of state Keith Krach, who is on a four-day visit to Taiwan ending tomorrow, called for strengthened Taiwan-US private-sector ties. He wrote on X on Wednesday that the private sector has a role to play in securing freedom, and that Taiwan’s private sector offers “a big competitive advantage vs the Chinese communist model.”

Separately, the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue on Tuesday said that bolstering tech security and expanding Taiwan’s role in the Global Trusted Tech Network were among the aims of Krach’s visit.

Three indicted for ‘united front’ work

Taipei Times

Three people connected with China-funded organizations, including Chou Ke-chi (周克琦) who heads the Gong He Party (共和黨), were indicted yesterday for contravening the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法).

Along with Chou, who also heads the pro-China agitation group 333 Political Alliance (333政黨聯盟), Pan Jindong (潘進東) and Chu Chun-yuan (朱俊源), board members of the Taipei Puxian Association (莆仙同鄉會), were also indicted. Puxian is another name for Putian, a city in China’s Fujian Province.

The three are the first people Taipei prosecutors have charged for contravening the Anti-Infiltration Act since it was passed by the legislature in 2020 to counter the influence of foreign hostile forces seeking to meddle in Taiwan’s elections.

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