Latest news with #cross-Strait
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Attempt to unseat 24 ‘pro-China' opposition politicians in Taiwan fails
An unprecedented attempt in Taiwan to unseat 24 'pro-China' opposition politicians and give a parliamentary majority to the ruling party has failed, with voters in every seat rejecting the notion. Polls opened on Saturday morning for the first 24 of 31 targeted electorates, with voters asked to agree or disagree with a proposal to recall the local legislator and hold a byelection. Polls closed at 4pm local time and by 7pm the central election commission said all had failed to pass, reported CNA, the government media outlet. Under the recall laws, for a seat to be vacated the number of voters in favour must be at least 25% of the electorate and outnumber the votes against. All 24 seats, as well as seven yet to hold a recall vote, are held by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), which along with a smaller party has controlled the majority of Taiwan's parliament since the election last year, when Lai Ching-te won the presidency for the Democratic Progressive party (DPP), a pro-sovereignty party that has vowed to push back against China's aggression. The opposition allies have used their votes to block DPP bills including defence budgets, freeze constitutional court appointments, and propose bills that critics said would weaken Taiwan's defences. The obstructions led to mass protests from which the recall movement was born. The KMT are likely to be emboldened by their resounding victory on Saturday. A flipping of just six KMT seats in Taiwan's 113-seat legislature could have freed up president Lai Ching-te and the DPP's agenda, but would also very likely draw increased hostility from China's ruling Communist party, which despises Lai and his party, considering them 'separatists' for opposing its plan to annex Taiwan. Seven seats are still to vote on their recall motions in coming weeks, but Saturday's losses will put the pressure on the campaigners to get six to vote 'agree'. On Saturday night, Lai urged people to accept the results of the vote, saying it was 'not a victory for one party, nor a defeat for the other', but a demonstration of democracy. 'After today, we still have many challenges, but we must prove to the world that Taiwan is a country that is capable of resolving internal disputes with a constitutional system, and is also a country that can unite each other with a democratic spirit after competition,' he said. The KMT praised the result as a decisive rejection of DPP efforts to 'overturn' an election. It also urged people not to see it 'as a signal on cross-Strait or foreign policy, nor should it be interpreted through the lens of 'pro-China' or 'pro-Taiwan' alignment'. 'We stand with the people of Taiwan in their call for stability, competence and inclusive governance,' it said. William Yang, a senior north-east Asia analyst for the International Crisis Group, said the recall campaign had deepened divisions in Taiwan. 'All sides, including all political parties in Taiwan, will need to seriously reflect on the process of this recall campaign and think about how they may be able to find common ground on issues that are key to Taiwan's security and prosperity,' he said. Yang said it also raised questions about the DPP using the threat posed by China in election campaigning, 'at least at a local level'. 'China may view Saturday's result as a sign that more Taiwanese people are not in favour of the 'China threat' rhetoric promoted by [Lai and the DPP], and this may make them feel like peaceful unification remains a viable option for them to resolve the ultimate 'Taiwan question',' Yang said. 'However, this doesn't also mean that Beijing would dial down the level of military and political pressure that they are imposing on Taiwan.' The unprecedented vote has fired up the island's population, just 18 months after a national election. Large rallies were held in Taipei on the eve of the vote, with tens of thousands turning out to support both sides. At an emotional DPP rally on Saturday, the campaign volunteer Julia Lin told the Guardian she was concerned the KMT would now feel 'invincible'. 'Their actions have been extremely reckless, and they've lost the democratic values and legal knowledge that legislators in Taiwan should have,' she said. 'We didn't succeed, but I believe we still need to keep trying to get our voices out there and attract more people to get involved to care about what's happening in Taiwan right now.' The pro-recall campaign was driven by civil society groups and activists, but was subsequently endorsed by the DPP. They had aimed to oust as many as 31 KMT legislators who, they say, are pro-China actors who have risked Taiwan's national security. The KMT denies the accusations. They, like the DPP, oppose annexation by the Communist party of China (CCP), but say the best way to protect the status quo is through friendlier ties with Beijing. The party and its supporters have labelled the recall campaign an anti-democratic power-grab by people who won't accept the results of last year's election. Retaliatory campaigns against DPP seats by the KMT all failed, with dozens of officials arrested over allegedly faking signatures. Beijing has also denounced the recall campaign. The Taiwan affairs office previously accused Lai of being a dictator and seeking to achieve 'one-party dominance'. Taiwan's mainland affairs council this week said it was 'evident and clear' that the CCP was trying to interfere in Taiwan's democratic process.
France 24
18-06-2025
- Business
- France 24
Taiwan's entrepreneurs in China feel heat from cross-Strait tensions
But now those firms are feeling the strain from cross-Strait tensions that have stoked safety fears among companies. Taiwanese entrepreneurs -- known as "Taishang" in Mandarin -- poured billions into mainland China since ties began improving in the 1990s, playing an important role in its rise to become the world's second-largest economy. But their numbers have dwindled in recent years, with the number of Taiwanese working in China dropping from 409,000 in 2009 to 177,000 in 2022, according to estimates provided to AFP by the Straits Exchange Foundation, an unofficial intermediary between Taipei and Beijing. China's economic slowdown and mounting trade tensions with Washington are partially responsible, the organisation says. But James Lee, a 78-year-old Taiwanese industrialist who was forced to close his cable and electrical outlet factory in southern Guangdong province in 2022, blames "politics". "You have to be very careful when you speak," Lee told AFP. "We Taiwanese businessmen are afraid." Bolstered by their mastery of Mandarin and business acumen, Taishang have prospered as wily intermediaries between international markets and China's vast industrial manufacturing base. Perhaps the most famous of them is Terry Gou, the founder of Foxconn whose vast factories in China churn out iPhones that have helped make it the world's biggest contract electronics manufacturer. No guarantee of safety An hour's drive from economic powerhouse Shanghai, Kunshan has been a key hub for Taiwanese-owned industry in China since the 1990s. "Back then, it was a rice field," recalls Annie Wang, an industrialist from the island who arrived in Kunshan in 1996. "Taiwanese companies were fortunate to coincide with the 30 most glorious years of Chinese manufacturing," she said. Now, Wang heads an electronics subcontracting manufacturing plant, a small technology park and a coffee utensil brand. At the height of the boom, Kunshan was home to more than 100,000 Taiwanese, according to unofficial figures from local associations. But the number of Taiwanese companies in the city has shrunk from more than 10,000 a decade ago to fewer than 5,000 today, according to the data. And the Taishang have felt the squeeze as relations between Taipei and Beijing plunge to their lowest depths in years. The Chinese Communist Party -- which claims Taiwan as its territory but has never controlled it -- has hardened its stance against alleged "Taiwanese independence activists", even calling for the death penalty for alleged secessionism. New rules, which also encourage citizens to report alleged pro-independence activities, have had a chilling effect on Taiwanese businesses in mainland China. "We are not sending Taiwanese employees (to China) because we don't know how to guarantee their safety," said industrialist Lee. "The initial favourable conditions have disappeared, and now there are many additional risks," Luo Wen-jia, vice chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation, told AFP. China's economic woes and rising production costs are adding to the problems. "When we first went there, we thought that China's economy would continue to improve because its market is so large and its population is so big," Leon Chen, a Taiwanese businessman who worked at a battery component factory in the southeastern province of Jiangxi, said. "But we haven't seen this materialise because there are some issues -- there is the US-China trade war and there was the pandemic," he added. Caught in crossfire In response, Taiwanese manufacturers are turning to new, more profitable -- and less politically sensitive -- locales. "Some went to Vietnam, and some went to Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, and some returned to Taiwan," Luo said. Between 2016 and 2024, Taiwanese investments in Vietnam approved by the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Taipei soared 129 percent, from US$451 million to more than US$1 billion. Over the same period, those to mainland China fell 62 percent, according to the same source. This decline could deal a blow to Beijing's "united front" strategy, which has seen it lean on Taishang communities to promote Taiwan's political integration and, ultimately, unification. And as Beijing launches military drills practising a blockade of Taiwan and Taipei cracks down on Chinese spies, Taishang risk being caught in the crossfire. In October 2023, Foxconn was placed under investigation by Chinese authorities -- a move widely seen as linked to a bid for the Taiwan presidency by its founder. "There is no way to compare it with the heyday but we can still make ends meet," said Chen. © 2025 AFP
The Guardian
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Taiwan president calls for peace and dialogue with China amid heightened military activity
Taiwan's president has reiterated calls for peace and dialogue with China as he marked one year in office, amid heightened Chinese military activity and worsening political division at home. Lai Ching-te, who was inaugurated a year ago, told reporters on Tuesday that a war would have 'no winners', but Taiwan would continue to strengthen its defences to ward off a Chinese invasion or attempt to annex it by force. 'It is the aggressor who undermines peace … Taiwan is a peace-loving nation, and our society values goodwill,' he said on Tuesday in response to questions after his formal address. 'I am deeply committed to peace, because peace is priceless, and in war there are no winners.' 'However, whilst our pursuit of peace is sincere, it must not be naive.' He urged Beijing to restart dialogue with his government on equal terms, 'using exchanges to replace hemming in, dialogue to replace confrontation'. China's ruling Communist party (CCP) cut all ties and dialogue with Taiwan's government when Lai's predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, won the 2016 election for their pro-sovereignty Democratic Progressive party. The CCP considers the party to be unlawful separatists. In response to the president's speech, China's official state media, Xinhua, accused Lai of 'deliberately escalating' cross-Strait tensions. 'Since taking office, the Lai Ching-te administration has brazenly pursued 'Taiwan independence' to serve partisan and personal gain, charging headlong down a path of division and confrontation that threatens the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait,' it said. In recent weeks China's military launched larger than usual numbers of planes and ships into Taiwan's air defence identification zone – an average of about 20 planes and 11 navy and coastguard ships each day. Taiwan authorities had publicly warned of likely Chinese retaliation or pre-emptive activity in response to the speech. Last week government officials told reporters they couldn't rule out military drills in the days after Lai spoke, and on Monday the coast guard said Beijing could launch 'political warfare' to disrupt public morale in Taiwan. Lai has taken a more publicly assertive stance against China's aggression than his predecessor Tsai, which analysts had been expecting his inauguration anniversary speech to continue. Earlier this month he said Taiwan was facing a similar threat to Europe in the 1930s. However the speech on Tuesday in the end made no mention of China or its annexation plans, and his related comments only came in response to questions in the subsequent press conference. Instead the speech focused on domestic pledges to reduce carbon emissions, plans to deal with the US Trump administration's punitive tariffs, and domestic political turmoil. 'The trade de-escalation reached between Beijing and Washington has generated anxiety in Taipei over whether the issue of Taiwan may emerge in future US-China talks,' said Amanda Hsiao, a director in Eurasia Group's China practice, referring to fears Beijing may seek a softening of the US's longstanding support of Taiwan. 'This uncertainty may be a factor for why Lai chose not to reiterate his views on the China threat in a high profile speech.' Amid worsening domestic political turmoil Lai announced he would offer national security briefings to the chair of the main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT). The KMT and another rival party, the TPP, control the majority of seats in Taiwan's legislature and have been accused of blocking Lai's agenda. The opposition parties have accused Lai and his Democratic Progressive party of increasing tensions with China and stifling opposition. In the name of national security, Lai's administration has increased scrutiny of Chinese-born people in Taiwan, and cracked down on public statements that support Beijing's goals. The KMT welcomed the new briefings as Lai having 'finally taken a small step' to end partisan conflict, but said he had much more to do.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
G7's 'deep concern' on China's drills around Taiwan
Leaders of the G7 countries have expressed "deep concern" over China's recent large-scale military exercises around Taiwan. Foreign ministers of the G7 - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States - plus the European Union condemned Beijing's "provocative actions". "These increasingly frequent and destabilising activities are raising cross-Strait tensions and put at risk global security and prosperity," they said in a joint statement on Sunday. #G7 Foreign Ministers' statement on China's large-scale military drills around Taiwan. #G7Kananaskis2025 #G7Canada — G7 (@G7) April 6, 2025 G7 members and the international community have an interest in maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the statement said. "We oppose any unilateral actions to threaten such peace and stability, including by force or coercion." China rejected the joint statement, calling it a "mischaracterisation of the facts and truth and an interference in China's internal affairs." "China deplores, opposes and absolutely does not accept this," a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Canada said. China's military conducted the drills over two days in early April. The military said the exercise, involving the army, navy, air force and missile unit, included precision strikes on simulated key targets. The Chinese Embassy spokesperson said that the exercises were "severe punishment" against the Taiwan government's "aggressive provocation to seek 'Taiwan independence'," as well as "a stern warning to 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces who deliberately undermine peace across the Taiwan Strait." "No external force is in any position to point fingers at this," the spokesperson continued. "We will never ever allow anyone or any force to separate Taiwan from China in any form. We will take all measures necessary to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity." In addition to regular military exercises, Chinese fighter jets fly almost daily into Taiwan's air defence zone, usually prompting a response from Taiwan's Air Force. China regards Taiwan as part of the People's Republic and has repeatedly threatened to invade it in the past. It has warned other countries, notably the US, to stop supporting Taiwan, which it regards as interference in China's domestic affairs. Democratic Taiwan, with a population of around 23.4 million, has had an has had an independent government since 1949.
Japan Times
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
G7 condemns 'provocative' Chinese military drills around Taiwan
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven have delivered an unusually strong condemnation of China's recent large-scale military drills around Taiwan, expressing 'deep concern' over the 'provocative' and 'destabilizing' drills. 'These increasingly frequent and destabilizing activities are raising cross-Strait tensions and put at risk global security and prosperity,' the ministers said in a statement released Monday. 'G7 members and the larger international community have an interest in the preservation of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,' the statement added. 'We oppose any unilateral actions to threaten such peace and stability, including by force or coercion.' Members of the G7 — which groups Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union — 'continue to encourage the peaceful resolution of issues through constructive cross-Strait dialogue,' it said. Last Wednesday, China's military concluded two days of military exercises near Taiwan that Beijing said included "long-range live-fire drills" and saw it practice simulated strikes on key ports and energy facilities on the democratic island. China said the drills were intended to "test the troops' capabilities" in areas such as "blockade and control, and precision strikes on key targets,' as Beijing ramps up pressure on Taipei. The drills, positioned strategically around Taiwan, seemed intended to rehearse cutting off vital shipping lanes essential to both the island and the global economy, experts said. China views self-ruled Taiwan as its 'core of core issues' and regards the island as a renegade province that must be unified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Beijing regularly deploys military aircraft and warships around the island and has conducted a number of large-scale exercises. While some experts said the exercises were intended to weigh any response by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, Beijing has hinted that they also highlighted its growing ability to blockade the island while also giving troops a taste of what actual combat would look like. 'Those espousing the view that the People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command's joint exercises were intended to gauge the reaction of the U.S. should also be reminded that the drills were specifically tailored to hone combat readiness and familiarize troops with battlefield conditions to enhance operational capabilities and demonstrate the PLA's ability to crush secessionist forces,' the state-run China Daily newspaper said in an editorial after the drills concluded.
