
Taiwan, EU face threats of 'external infiltration', president tells European lawmakers
Taiwan views the EU as one of its most important like-minded democratic partners, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, and the bloc has had to balance its support for the Chinese-claimed island with relations with Beijing, which views Taiwan as its own territory.
China confirmed on Monday it will hold a top-level summit with the EU in Beijing this week marking 50 years of diplomatic ties as both sides seek to navigate trade disputes amid broader global trade uncertainties.
Lai, meeting members of the European Parliament's Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield at the presidential office in Taipei, said Taiwan and the EU not only have close economic and trade ties, but also share the values of democracy and freedom.
"But in recent years, both have encountered information interference and infiltration by external forces which have attempted to manipulate the results of democratic elections, create confrontation in society, and shake people's confidence in democracy," he said, according to a statement from his office.
Taiwan, which rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, has repeatedly accused China of interfering in its democracy, spreading fake news and undermining public trust in the government.
China denies the accusations, but says Taiwan's government is seeking foreign support to push its own "separatist" agenda.
For their part, many European countries say Russia has similarly been seeking to discredit European governments and destabilise the EU. Moscow rejects the allegations.
Lai said that democracies work not to fight against anyone, but to safeguard a "treasured" way of life, just as Europe strives to promote the spirit of pluralism and human rights.
"Standing at the forefront of the world's defence of democracy, Taiwan is determined to work to safeguard democracy, peace and prosperity around the world, and hopes to share its experience with Europe," he added.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
9 minutes ago
- The Star
Trump administration issues plan to limit AI exports to China
The White House on Wednesday released proposals to restrict exports of American AI equipment and limit the spread of Chinese AI models as part of a sweeping plan to shape the rules governing the fast-moving technology. The 28-page AI Action Plan marks US President Donald Trump's administration's first comprehensive strategy on the topic and comes as national security hawks have raised concerns that superior American chips may reach China – including through third countries – and advance its AI and military development. Under the plan, the US Commerce Department will lead an effort to develop new export controls on chipmaking components to close 'loopholes' in current restrictions that now focus on major systems. The department will also lead efforts to increase the monitoring of exported US chip end users and to explore using new chip location verification features to keep them out of 'countries of concern' – a term often used to refer to China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, among others. The plan also directs the Defence and Commerce departments to coordinate with allies on adopting US export controls and to prohibit American adversaries from being involved in their defence supply chains. 'Artificial intelligence is a revolutionary technology with the potential to transform the global economy and alter the balance of power in the world,' White House AI tsar David Sacks said in a written statement. 'To win the AI race, the US must lead in innovation, infrastructure, and global partnerships ... This Action Plan provides a road map for doing that,' he added. The Trump administration decision last week to allow American chipmaker Nvidia to sell its H20 chips to China reinvigorated furious debate about how to extend the US technological lead without compromising national security. That came months after the administration revoked a rule put in place under former President Joe Biden that limited how much US AI computing capability certain countries could access through imported US chips. American AI companies face increased competition from such Chinese rivals as Hangzhou-based DeepSeek, which sent global shock waves earlier this year when it released powerful AI models built far more cheaply than many had thought possible. Trump has previously warned of China's potential to surpass the US in the race for AI dominance. Speaking about the White House plan at an AI summit on Wednesday, Trump said he wants to make the US an 'AI export powerhouse' while maintaining 'necessary protections for our national security'. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Secretary of State Marco Rubio 'will work to rapidly expand American AI exports of all kinds, from chips to software to data storage', he said, before signing executive orders to fast-track AI development and promote exports. Ryan Fedasiuk, a former technology policy advisor in the State Department's Office of China Coordination, said that taken together, the export control proposals 'thread a difficult needle' in the lead-up to US-China trade talks in Stockholm next week. 'They tighten technology controls without risking an existential blow to the provisional trade deal struck in London, and they focus on enforcement gaps rather than adding sweeping new restrictions,' he said. The real impact of the plan will depend 'entirely' on its execution, Fedasiuk added. 'Allied coordination is where the rubber meets the road. Export controls only work if they're multilateral, and we've seen too many cases where US restrictions just pushed business to Dutch or Japanese competitors.' The new administration blueprint also makes several recommendations focused on countering the spread of Chinese models. To ensure 'that free speech flourishes in the era of AI', the Commerce Department is to evaluate advanced Chinese AI models for alignment with Communist Party talking points and censorship practices. Along with the US State Department, Commerce will lead a campaign to 'vigorously advocate' for international AI governance approaches that 'counter Chinese influence' at diplomatic and standard-setting bodies. Too many existing efforts 'have advocated for burdensome regulations, vague 'codes of conduct' that promote cultural agendas that do not align with American values, or have been influenced by Chinese companies attempting to shape standards for facial recognition and surveillance', the plan said. The two departments will also lead a new initiative to share technology protection measures, including measures in basic research and higher education, with allies and partners. To promote the use of American AI technology rather than that of adversaries, the Commerce Department will gather industry proposals for 'full-stack AI export packages' – bundled systems that include AI hardware, software, and related services intended for export. In recent years, the US has pushed its European and Asian allies to stop exports of advanced chipmaking equipment to China. Wednesday's document carries a thinly veiled threat to allies, warning that failure to align with US export controls could trigger punitive trade measures through secondary tariffs. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST


The Sun
39 minutes ago
- The Sun
Taiwan holds pivotal recall vote targeting opposition MPs
TAIPEI: Taiwanese voters turned out at schools, temples and community centres on Saturday to cast their ballots in a high-stakes recall election that could give President Lai Ching-te's party control of the parliament. Civic groups backed by Lai's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are seeking to unseat 31 lawmakers belonging to the main opposition Kuomintang party, who they accuse of being pro-China and a threat to the democratic island's security. The KMT, which wants closer ties with Beijing, controls parliament with the help of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) and has slammed the unprecedented recall effort as a DPP power grab. Polling stations opened around Taiwan at 8:00 am (0000 GMT) with 24 KMT lawmakers facing potential recall. Elections for another seven KMT lawmakers will be held on August 23. In the capital Taipei, people queued in school hallways and temples. AFP saw an elderly man arrive at a primary school in an ambulance, which had brought him from hospital so he could vote. Public opinion is split over the recalls, which have dominated newspaper headlines and social media feeds for months. 'I am not satisfied with their job performance,' said retired doctor Jeremy Chen, 54, adding he was 'also worried about the pro-China stance of some lawmakers'. But a 46-year-old man surnamed Lee told AFP the lawmakers had not 'committed any crimes' and the DPP wanted to control parliament for 'it's one-party dominance'. 'This is not democracy,' Lee said, after voting against the recall. Both major parties held rain-soaked rallies in recent days to urge supporters to take part in the critical election, which could upend the balance of power in parliament and fuel tensions with China. Lai, a staunch defender of Taiwan's sovereignty and detested by Beijing, won the presidential election in 2024. But his DPP party lost its majority in the legislature. Since then, the KMT and TPP have joined forces to stymie Lai's agenda, and slashed or frozen parts of the government's budget. Contentious opposition bills, including an attempt to expand parliament's powers, sparked brawls in the legislature and massive street protests. The DPP needs a minimum of 12 KMT lawmakers recalled to gain temporary control of the parliament, with risk analysis firm Eurasia Group giving that outcome 'a 60 percent probability'. Lai's party would then need to flip six seats in by-elections later this year to cement its dominance in the parliament -- which analysts say would be a formidable challenge. Recall results will be released Saturday night. Analysts said if the DPP gets control of the purse strings, even if only for a few months, it is likely to reverse the budget cuts and increase defence spending. Whatever the outcome, though, analyst Lev Nachman said political divisions in Taiwan were certain to deepen. 'The way that the recalls have played out have been perhaps some of the most divisive language used towards both camps that I think I've ever seen,' Nachman, a political scientist and longtime observer of Taiwan, told AFP. - China looms large - In recent months, KMT chairman Eric Chu has compared Lai's government to Hitler's Nazi regime, while Lai has spoken of 'removing impurities' to defend Taiwan's sovereignty. Beijing has loomed large over the recall vote, with Taipei warning of 'visible evidence' that China was trying to interfere in the process. The KMT's ties with Beijing and frequent visits by its lawmakers to China have raised concerns among critics over Chinese influence on the party. But the KMT rejects accusations it is beholden to Beijing and insists dialogue with China is needed to ensure peace. Communist China has never ruled Taiwan, but Beijing claims the island is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control. For a KMT lawmaker to lose their seat, the number of votes in favour of recalling them must exceed those against and also be more than 25 percent of the total number of registered voters in the electorate. - AFP


New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Thousands of men shared non-consensual intimate photos on Telegram
BEIJING: Thousands of men allegedly shared intimate photos and videos of their girlfriends without consent on the Telegram messaging app, Chinese media reported, sparking widespread outcry against secret filming and calls to better protect women. Pornography in China is illegal, and conservative social attitudes towards women remain the norm, often reinforced by state media and popular culture. It comes after a Chinese university expelled a woman this month for "damaging national dignity" over videos posted by a Ukrainian esports player on Telegram suggesting they had been intimate. The Chinese state-owned 'Southern Daily' reported this week that a woman discovered photos of her taken unknowingly had been shared in a Telegram forum with over 100,000 users, mostly Chinese men. Members of the forum also shared photos of their girlfriends, ex-girlfriends and wives, according to a commentary in the 'Guangming Daily', an outlet backed by China's ruling communist party. Revelations of the group have sparked widespread outcry online. "We are not... 'content' that can be randomly uploaded, viewed and fantasised about," read one comment on Instagram-like Red Note. "We can no longer remain silent. Because next could be me, or it could be you." A related hashtag has been viewed more than 230 million times on social media platform Weibo since Thursday. The largest group, called "Mask Park", has since been taken down, but smaller spinoffs remain active, according to women contacted by 'Southern Daily' Telegram encrypts its users' messages and is banned in China, but it is accessible using a virtual private network. "The sharing of nonconsensual pornography is explicitly forbidden by Telegram's terms of service and is removed whenever discovered," Telegram said in a statement sent to AFP. "Moderators proactively monitor public parts of the platform and accept reports in order to remove millions of pieces of harmful content each day, including nonconsensual pornography." The incident has drawn comparisons to a case in South Korea dubbed "Nth Room", in which a man blackmailed dozens of women into taking sexually explicit videos and sold them on Telegram. Online, Chinese women have detailed their own experiences of being filmed and photographed by men in public. "What criminals consider 'regular' for them may be nightmares that countless women can't escape for the rest of their lives," one woman said, sharing an encounter on Douyin. Chinese police have cracked down on illegal filming, arresting hundreds of people in 2022 over clandestine surveillance. But women's rights are sensitive territory in China -- over the last decade, authorities have suppressed almost every form of independent feminist activism. #MeToo activist Sophia Huang Xueqin was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of "inciting subversion of state power" after she became a symbol of the country's stalled feminist movement. Chinese authorities have yet to publicly announce any action against the Telegram group. But the 'Guangming Daily' commentary urged "accountability" for the organisers of the Telegram group, and empathy for the people filmed. Improving law enforcement would "enhance the overall sense of security, free women from the fear of being spied on and make privacy boundaries a truly untouchable red line", it said.