Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Beijing’s ‘Ryukyu card’ and Taiwan

Tzou Jiing-wen 鄒景雯

For more than a month, the Chinese Communist Party’s media and commentators have been trying to propagandize the “undecided status of Okinawa islands.” Such propaganda has reached its peak since Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki’s high-profile visit to China early this month. Beijing is indirectly warning Tokyo.

China is once again playing the “Ryukyu card” for various reasons, among which its fear of Japan and the US deploying land-based medium-range guided missiles in the Okinawa islands is perhaps its biggest worry.

Cabinet approves tough harassment bills

Taipei Times

The Executive Yuan yesterday approved amendments to gender equality laws that would impose stiffer penalties, including up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of NT$1 million (US$32,169) for offenders who use their position or power to sexually harass others.

The amendments to the Act of Gender Equality in Employment (性別平等工作法), the Gender Equity Education Act (性別平等教育法) and the Sexual Harassment Prevention Act (性騷擾防治法) were proposed following a series of harassment scandals that have been exposed since May, with perpetrators ranging from politicians to writers, academics and celebrities.

Gou, Ko, Hou, Huang and housing

Yu Kung 愚工

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘), former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) and former legislator Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) have promised to attend a housing justice and judicial reform rally on Sunday on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei.

It is ironic that the four men are to attend a rally to protest housing unaffordability.

Gou is one of the richest people in Taiwan; Ko was the mayor of the most unaffordable city in terms of housing prices; while Hou and Huang have large real-estate holdings.

Exercises at airport are worth the disruption

Ray Song 宋磊

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is scheduled to suspend commercial air traffic for one hour later this month for an anti-takeover drill. It is reported that the maneuvers would involve members of the Aviation Special Forces Command and Army Airborne Special Forces posing as an invading enemy, with ground troops deployed to repel the simulated takeover attempt.

The drill is to be part of the live-fire component of this year’s Han Kuang military exercises from July 24 to 28. The airport drill has been tentatively set for July 26 and the planned one-hour suspension of air traffic indicates that it would likely last less than that to limit the inconvenience for travelers. All major airlines are to be informed of the event, while an international air traffic broadcast would also be issued.

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