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South China Morning Post
12 hours ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Taiwan's former leader Ma Ying-jeou calls for ‘peaceful and democratic' unification
Former Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou proposed that unification between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should be achieved peacefully and democratically – rejecting the use or threat of force – in a rare unscripted moment during a speech on the mainland on Thursday. Advertisement It marked the first time Ma, also the former chairman of the mainland-friendly Kuomintang (KMT), has explicitly expressed his views on unification during his four visits to mainland China. His current trip started on June 14 and ends on Friday. 'My position is that the two sides of the strait should pursue peaceful and democratic unification,' said Ma, who served as Taiwan's leader from 2008 to 2016. He made the remarks at a Chinese cultural event in Dunhuang , a city in Gansu province, according to Taiwan's United Daily News on Thursday. He went on to clarify that unification should not be achieved through 'the use or threat of force' and must 'respect the will of the people of Taiwan', according to the report. The comments – delivered off-script during a carefully arranged visit – were addressed to roughly 180 attendees, which included Song Tao , head of the mainland's Taiwan Affairs Office. Advertisement In response to Ma's surprise comment, Song said in his remarks following Ma's speech that 'the future and destiny of Taiwan should be jointly decided by all Chinese people on both sides of the strait', according to a separate report by United Daily News.
The Independent
13 hours ago
- Science
- The Independent
Rare species return to Qilian Mountains
The Qilian Mountains in Northwest China have come nearly full circle from four decades ago when the flora and fauna were threatened by deforestation, grazing and poaching. The 620-mile mountain range separating Qinghai and Gansu provinces is today hailed as an oasis surrounded by desert. The towering peaks of the Qilian Mountains capture warm, moist air from the southeast, creating abundant precipitation. This climate and the various ecological environments in the area have fostered diverse habitats for numerous wildlife species, including snow leopards, wild yaks and black-necked cranes. 'We came across two snow leopards during a patrol,' recalled Lang Wenrui, deputy director of the Sunan branch of the Zhangye ecology and environment bureau, which administers part of the mountain range. 'They were drinking by a water source, only about 16 feet away from us.' Lang, a photography enthusiast, spends most of his year patrolling the Qilian Mountains. 'I've been searching for snow leopards for 15 years during patrols,' he said. 'In the first 10 years, I didn't see a single one, but in the past five years, I've encountered over a dozen.' The snow leopard population in the Qilian Mountains has been rapidly recovering, an epitome of the results of continuous conservation efforts. 'Sightings of snow leopards in the wild are more frequent, and the range within which these leopards make their presence known is steadily expanding,' said Pei Wen, director of the management centre of Gansu's Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve. The number of snow leopards in Gansu's Qilian Mountain and Yanchiwan national nature reserves has reached approximately 700, according to Ma Duifang, head of the wildlife management department at the Zhangye branch of the Gansu Qilian Mountain National Park Administration. Restoring the snow leopard population is crucial, Ma said. 'Snow leopards are a flagship and umbrella species in the Qilian Mountains, sitting at the top of the ecosystem's food chain. They are closely linked to many other wildlife species in the region,' he said. 'For example, the bearded vulture, which is not a strong hunter, relies on the carcasses of prey caught by snow leopards as a vital food source. Meanwhile, the populations of blue sheep, red deer and musk deer — primary prey for snow leopards — are kept in check by their predation.' He said snow leopards are like 'the thermometer of the alpine ecosystem'. 'When their population structure and numbers are balanced, it signals a healthy ecosystem. Conversely, if their numbers are declining or they're on the brink of extinction, it suggests there are broader issues with the environment,' he said. In 2017, the Qilian Mountains were designated as a pilot national park, covering 19,380 square miles. The region was divided into core protection and general control zones, and residents in the core protection zone were encouraged to participate in ecological migration. 'The aim is to preserve a complete natural ecosystem for future generations,' said Guo Shengxiang, deputy director of the Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve's management centre. The government provided the migrants homes and subsidies to offset grazing bans, and offered them positions as forest rangers or alternative livelihood training. 'In the Gansu section of Qilian Mountain National Park, we've employed 2,425 forest rangers, most of whom are local migrants,' Guo said. Ma Jiancheng, head of the Xiangyangtai resource management centre of Sidalong station, which is part of the Qilian Mountain reserve, has been working as a forest ranger for 26 years. Each month, he and his colleagues spend at least 20 days patrolling deep in the mountains at altitudes above 9,840 feet. Now, their work is empowered by technology, as each ranger is equipped with a programme on their phones to record their patrol routes. If they spot wildlife or signs of human activity, they immediately take photos and upload them to the programme. 'Moreover, the rangers regularly conduct aerial patrols using drones, and video monitoring towers and infrared cameras have been set up to better monitor wildlife movements, human activities and fire warnings,' Ma Jiancheng said. 'The results of the environmental and ecological protection efforts over the years have been very evident. Nowadays, we often see wildlife such as musk deer, red deer, blue sheep, blue eared pheasants, golden eagles and even snow leopards during patrol,' he added. Data from the Qilian Mountain reserve's management centre shows that the reserve is now home to 360 species of wildlife, including 24 species under national first-class protection.
The Standard
12-06-2025
- The Standard
China's 240-hour transit visa-free policy extended to 55 countries, Xinhua reports
Tourists visit Jiayu Pass, a strategic point of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty along the ancient "Silk Road", in Jiayuguan, Gansu province, China October 28, 2024. (Reuters)
ABC News
11-06-2025
- ABC News
Police in China arrest female authors of homosexual novels in crackdown on 'boys love' fiction genre
Female writers have been summoned by police for posting and sharing homosexual romance stories online, in a widespread crackdown on the 'boys love' genre in China. If convicted, they could be subjected to detention, financial penalties, and even prison sentences. Many of the targeted writers published their work on Haitang, a Taiwanese website popular with fans of boys love fiction — a genre that features romantic relationships between male characters, often depicting sex scenes. Some of them have been documenting their experiences on Chinese social media. A university student who goes by their pen name Sijindejin said she was served a notice in May to present herself at a local police station in Gansu province — about 970km away from her village in Chengdu. Sijindejin, who says she grew up in a "poor village", bought the cheapest flight available and took her first plane trip to comply. According to Chinese laws, police in any part of the country who claim they have received complaints about an individual can call them in for questioning. Having only made 4,000 yuan ($857) after writing for years, Sijindejin said she never knew it could be a crime. "I thought I could write my way out of the orbit of my destiny, and I thought I was writing my future, but I didn't realise that that future pointed to prison," Sijindejin wrote in her social media post. Another writer also summoned by police expressed her similar shock. "I'd never expected this day to come, to be hit in the face with every word I've written in the past," the anonymous writer said in a post on social media platform Weibo in late May. "I love each of my books, and I see the books and each of the characters in them as my children, even when they are called sinful." Writers of the boys love genre are mainly female, and it appears many of the targeted writers are also university students unable to afford legal representation. Three lawyers, representing some of the writers, also posted about the crackdown, noting the scale of action has been widespread, with estimates that at least 100 writers have been affected. Radio Free Asia reported that police in remote north-western Gansu province have called in dozens of writers, with some subsequently being detained, fined, or charged with offences that could result in prison terms. While the reason for the recent suppression is unclear, it is not the first time writers of the boys love genre have been targeted. Last year, local police in Anhui province summoned several writers over the alleged offence of disseminating obscene content. Some had their earnings from subscriber payments confiscated, and were also convicted and sentenced to prison. China last updated its laws on "digitally obscene" content in 2010. Those regulations said the "production, reproduction, publication, trafficking, dissemination" of any obscene works that generate more than 5,000 clicks online, or that make profits more than 5,000 yuan ($1,072), should be treated as a crime. In 2018, writer Liu Yuanyuan was fined and sentenced to 10 years in prison for publishing her novel Occupy, a boys love fiction that contained content deemed as obscene. The novel generated more than 150,000 yuan ($32,200) in profits. Elsa, a boys love fiction writer who doesn't want to use her real name, said it was unreasonable and ignorant to treat all boys love fiction as obscene. She said she didn't understand why only homosexual love writing was being targeted. Homosexuality is not illegal in China, but gay couples cannot get married in the country. "No matter if it's love and sexuality in reality or in a fictional world, people should respect differences," Elsa said. "People are all discussing whether the sentencing was too harsh and whether it's appropriate to use dated standards to trial today's cases." The crackdown has sparked backlash across China, with many people questioning the motives behind the police summons and severity of punishments. On Chinese social media, people have accused police of "offshore fishing" — a phrase that refers to local police who have allegedly summoned suspects from other parts of the country for questioning for financial gain. The phrase "offshore fishing" was censored last week on social media platforms in China, including Weibo and WeChat. Haitang, the website popular with fans of boys love fiction, has also been suspended until July 8. A spokesperson for Haitang said they were working on improving their services. Tang Hongyang, a lawyer who represented several writers of the boys love genre last year, said the situation was getting worse. But Beijing-based lawyer Zhang Dongshuo disagreed, saying the government may not be chasing profits. "It seems that they have detained writers from poor family backgrounds who haven't made much money as well," Mr Zhang told the ABC. Mr Zhang said authorities may have restarted the crackdown on boys love fiction because it was seen as unfavourable to China's new policies in raising fertility rates. "Officials may think that these cases can eliminate the social influence [of homosexual love stories] and give young people a more 'positive' sexual orientation, and in a way promote fertility rates," he said. Mr Zhang explained that China's fertility rates were dropping and many young people were opting out of marriage. Despite this, he believes China's law on digitally obscene content should be updated to reflect the new social reality. Professor Wang Pan, who studies Chinese social media and pop culture at the University of New South Wales, said boys love fiction became a target of censorship and crackdown as it gained popularity in China. She said the crackdown on boys love fiction was not just a blow to China's LGBT community, but also a blow to writers' freedom. "The market and influence of boys love fiction has been expanding in recent years, and is sought after by more and more young people, especially women," Professor Wang said. "The authors, who were the targets of criminal detention, were mostly female subculture content creators. They were underprivileged and earned some meagre fees and reward payments for their writing." Professor Wang said the recent crackdown showed the government was expanding its scope of surveillance over the subculture and further restricting freedom of speech. The Chinese government has been contacted for comment. Elsa, the boys love fiction writer, said she felt sad for her peers who have been detained for writing boys love fiction. "It's impossible not to feel anxious and disappointed," she said. "I am not in the zone for writing at the moment and will stop for a while, but I'll not give up writing. "For those who didn't depict many sex scenes in their book and didn't make much money, it's really unfair for them to get criminal records for just publishing their stories on Haitang."
South China Morning Post
11-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Former Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou to return to mainland China despite warnings
Former Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou is set to lead a delegation to mainland China, despite repeated warnings from Taiwanese authorities. Advertisement On Wednesday, the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation announced that Ma, who is a former chairman of Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), would lead a student visit to mainland China from Saturday. He would conclude his trip on June 27 after attending the Straits Forum in Xiamen, a city that faces Taiwan across the Taiwan Strait, and travelling to the northwestern province of Gansu to attend a ceremony honouring Fuxi, one of the legendary ancestors of the Han Chinese, according to a statement. 04:15 'Foreign interference cannot stop family reunion': President Xi Jinping hosts Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou 'Foreign interference cannot stop family reunion': President Xi Jinping hosts Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou Beijing describes the annual Straits Forum as the largest platform for 'people-to-people exchanges' between the two sides of the strait. But Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has repeatedly warned that the forum is a ' united front tool ' while banning related events in Taiwan and forbidding its government officials from attending. Last year, the KMT delegation was led by vice-chairman Sean Lien Sheng-wen. Wang Huning , the fourth-ranked member of mainland China's ruling Communist Party and head of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference – the country's highest political advisory body – is expected to deliver a speech at the opening ceremony on Sunday and announce Beijing's latest policy on Taiwan. Advertisement On Wednesday, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council released a statement saying Ma's decision to attend the forum was 'inappropriate and inconsistent with his position, and the government deeply regrets and finds it incomprehensible'. The same day, DPP spokesman Wu Zheng accused Ma of 'playing along with' Beijing's show, adding that his visit would 'put the Taiwanese people in an unjust situation'.
