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Epoch Times
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
More Than 1 Million Taiwanese Sign Petitions to Recall Alleged Pro-Communist China Legislators
News Analysis An effort in Taiwan to recall politicians seen as selling out the island's interests to communist China is gaining ground, raising the possibility of a major setback for Beijing's hopes of subjugating Taiwan by co-opting its government. Starting late last year, Taiwanese civic groups initiated a campaign to invoke recall elections targeting opposition legislators as Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, elected in January 2024, has advocated tough policies to counter the CCP, including bolstering Taiwan's defensive capabilities and strengthening its alliance with the United States. However, Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have been hard-pressed in implementing their program, as the party holds a minority of seats in Taiwan's parliament, the Legislative Yuan. As early as May 2024, when Lai assumed office, the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP), collectively known as the 'blue-white coalition,' used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to attempt structural reforms that would have greatly empowered the parliament at the expense of the presidency; reforms made to the judicial system have also reduced that institution's effectiveness in checking the legislature. The blue-white coalition has also leveraged its majority to obstruct the central government budget, order reductions to Taiwan's defense spending, and block bills aimed at stemming political interference from mainland China. Related Story 5/7/2025 Initially regarded as having little chance of success, the mass recall movement has gathered more than 1 million signatures across Taiwan, targeting 35 legislators affiliated with the KMT and TPP. Twenty-four of these drives have collected enough signatures—at least 25 percent of a given legislator's constituents—for a recall vote, and have been submitted for verification. While the blue-white coalition has responded with its own recall campaign by initiating petitions against 15 legislators of the DPP camp, none of the petitions has received the signatures needed to proceed to the next phase. Recalling 'Pro-Communist' Legislators The recall movement against KMT and TPP legislators was initiated by groups such as the Anti-Communist Taiwan Defense Volunteer Alliance, which, on April 24, held a rally to keep up the signature drive. A rally to 'Resist the United Front, Protect Taiwan' was held in Taipei, Taiwan's capital, on April 19, gathering around 55,000 people along Ketagalan Boulevard to reject the CCP's influence and support the recalls. The third and final round of signatures to confirm the recall elections will take place starting on the week of May 12. Those recall races validated by Taiwan's Central Election Commission will be held within 20 to 60 days. Elected legislators attend a swearing-in ceremony at the chamber of the Legislative Yuan on the first day of session in Taipei, Taiwan, on Feb. 1, 2024. I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images Akio Yaita, a Japanese journalist who serves as executive director of the Indo-Pacific Strategic Institute, estimates that up to a dozen KMT legislators could be successfully recalled. Speaking with the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times, Yaita Speaking at a May 3 recall rally in Keelung, a port city near Taiwan's capital city, Taiwanese businessman Robert Tsao Hsing-cheng warned that the de facto nation of 23 million could suffer the same fate as Hong Kong should 'pro-communist legislators' be permitted to advance their agenda. Top KMT officials 'not only refused to attend the inauguration ceremony of Taiwan's president [in May 2024], but also went to Beijing to meet with Wang Huning, a senior CCP official,' Tsao noted, referring to a trip that occurred in April last year. After recovering Hong Kong from British rule in 1997, the CCP spent decades eroding the city's promised political autonomy, eventually imposing an authoritarian national security law in 2020 that quashed Hong Kong's civic freedoms amid Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is the remnant territory of the government that was defeated on the Chinese mainland by the CCP rebels in 1949. Despite fighting a protracted civil war against the communists when it ruled mainland China, the KMT, or Nationalist Party, has in recent decades adopted a pro-CCP stance, emphasizing cross-strait economic and cultural ties. 'The KMT has expressed opposition to civil defense groups coordinating with the military in the event of a Chinese attack. It has also pushed to roll back anti-infiltration laws, including restrictions on active or retired military personnel saluting the flag of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and singing the PRC national anthem,' a March 19 The Greatest Threat to a Democratic Taiwan DPP legislator Puma Shen declared at the May 3 Keelung rally that an alliance of the 'pro-red unification Kuomintang' and the CCP constituted the greatest threat to Taiwan's democracy. Taiwanese legislator Puma Shen (L) and businessman Robert Tsao Hsing-cheng take part in a rally supporting the mass recall petitions in Keelung, Taiwan, on May 3, 2025. Sun Xiangyi/The Epoch Times Shen's words echo a March 20 At the Keelung rally, Shen criticized the blue-white camp for blocking more than 40 times a motion in the Legislative Yuan that would have restricted Taiwanese legislators from traveling to mainland China. He also gave an example of the opposition using procedural methods to obstruct the operations of the parliament. 'One meeting began at 9 a.m. and was dismissed at 9:03 a.m. Nobody was given the opportunity to speak,' he said. The Anti-Communist Taiwan Defense Volunteer Alliance also warned at its April 24 rally in Taipei about efforts by the KMT–TPP coalition to amend the existing regulations on recall elections to make them harder to initiate. On April 26, the blue-white camp staged a demonstration to 'oppose green communism, fight dictatorship,' portraying the mass recalls as a move toward authoritarianism. In Taiwanese electoral politics, the DPP and its allies are known as the 'pan-greens.' At the rally, KMT Chairman Eric Chu Li-luan criticized Lai and ended the event by declaring that the party would campaign for Lai's own recall from office. The KMT's shift toward its current stance came in large measure due to persistent 'united front' tactics employed by the CCP for more than a century to subvert and eliminate its traditional enemy. A China coast guard ship sails toward the zone where China said it would conduct live fire exercises northeast of Pingtan island, the closest point in China to Taiwan, in southeast Fujian Province, China, on April 10, 2023. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images In addition to ordering frequent naval and aerial patrols to harass and intimidate Taiwan's defenses, the Chinese regime's 'united front' work targets Taiwanese officials, military personnel, business circles, and other important organizations and individuals. The meeting between the KMT legislators and senior CCP official Wang Huning mentioned by Robert Tsao occurred on April 26, 2024. Fu Kun-chi, majority leader of the Legislative Yuan, led a delegation of 16 KMT legislators to visit Beijing at the time. There, they were granted an audience with Wang, who is a member of the CCP's seven-man leadership body and has spent more than a decade in charge of crafting Beijing's modern ideological doctrine. Fu, who represents Taiwan's eastern Hualien county and is subject to a recall effort, has been imprisoned three times for economic crimes. He studied at Jinan University in Guangzhou, southern China, but the degree he earned there is not recognized by the Taiwanese education ministry on account of Jinan being run by the CCP's United Front Work Group. Other prominent KMT officials have expressed support for Beijing, such as former President Ma Ying-jeou, who, ahead of the 2024 presidential election, urged Taiwanese to 'trust' that Chinese leader Xi Jinping would not order a military invasion of the island. Calls for Solidarity Across Party Lines The roughly 50 Taiwanese civic groups facilitating the mass recall petitions and efforts to monitor the activities of lawmakers represent 'the democratic will of Taiwanese society and a constitutional battle against the CCP's authoritarian regime,' according to Tseng Chien-yuan, executive director of the New School for Democracy, a nonprofit originally founded in Hong Kong. Around 55,000 Taiwanese attend a rally to support mass recalls against legislators allegedly linked to communist China, in Taipei, on April 19, 2025. Sun Xiangyi/The Epoch Times Speaking on a May 1 Yang Hsien-hung, founding chairman of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights in China, told The Epoch Times that the recall process is an opportunity to walk back 'the mistaken election of CCP collaborators.' He added that the KMT's declaration of recalling Lai is a non-starter, given that the blue-white coalition only commands a slight majority in the Legislative Yuan, rather than the two-thirds needed to oust a sitting president. The KMT's pro-Beijing stance has angered some of its own would-be supporters. One group, the 'Chinese Anti-Communist Taiwan Protection National Restoration Party,' has joined the recall movement against the KMT, with its chairman, Cheng Kai-li, calling upon Taiwanese of all political stripes to jointly resist the CCP's designs for taking over the island, according to Taiwan's SET News. Tseng said in his statements with NTD that the mass recalls were not about the issue of whether Taiwan should pursue formal independence from China or eventually reunite with the mainland, or a partisan struggle, but 'a historic moment where people across Taiwan, transcending party lines, unite to resist the CCP's united front tactics.' He pointed out that retired military officers and conservative figures from within the KMT establishment, who previously avoided any possible associations with the Taiwan independence movement, have also stepped forward to support the grassroots recall efforts. Shen, the DPP legislator, emphasized at the May 3 rally in Keelung that the purpose of the recall movement was not to target the KMT specifically but to safeguard Taiwan's political system and sovereignty. 'Even if some of the Kuomintang members retain their seats after the recall, it will still be a good thing for Taiwan as long as they hold democratic values and love Taiwan,' he said. Fei Zhen, Cheng Mulan, and Luo Ya contributed to this report.
Crypto Insight
10-05-2025
- Business
- Crypto Insight
Taiwan lawmaker calls for Bitcoin reserve at national conference
Taiwanese lawmaker Ko Ju-Chun has called on the government to consider adding Bitcoin to its national reserves, suggesting it could serve as a hedge against global economic uncertainty. Ko, a legislator at-large in Taiwan's legislative body, the Legislative Yuan, took to X on Friday to report that he had advocated Bitcoin investment by the Taiwanese government at the National Conference on May 9. In his remarks, Ko cited Bitcoin's potential to become a hedge amid global economic risks and urged Taiwan to recognize the cryptocurrency alongside gold and foreign exchange reserves to boost its financial resilience. Ko's announcement came shortly after the legislator held talks with Samson Mow, who advocates for Bitcoin adoption by states like El Salvador at his BTC tech firm Jan3. Taiwan is an export-oriented economy Ko highlighted that Taiwan is an export-driven economy that has experienced significant fluctuations in its national currency, the New Taiwan dollar, amid global inflation and intensifying geopolitical risks. 'We currently have a gold reserve of 423 metric tons, and our foreign exchange reserves amount to $577 billion, including investments in US Treasury bonds,' the lawmaker stated. In a scenario of more intense currency volatility or potential regional conflicts, Taiwan may 'very likely be unable to ensure the security and liquidity,' Ko continued, adding that Bitcoin could be a great addition to Taiwan's reserves for several reasons. 'Bitcoin has been operating for over 15 years. It has a fixed total supply, is decentralized, and is resistant to censorship. Many countries are focusing on its hedging attributes. At the same time, in intense situations, it may not face the risk of embargo,' he said. Bitcoin is not the only solution Referring to many global initiatives considering Bitcoin adoption as a reserve asset, Ko stressed that he's not advocating for Bitcoin as the 'only solution' to rising economic challenges. Instead, the legislator suggested adding a 'small proportion of Bitcoin' into the diversified assets as tools for sovereign asset allocation and risk hedging, and backup capacity of Taiwan's financial system. He previously suggested that Taiwan could allocate a maximum of 5% of its $50 billion reserve to Bitcoin in an X post on May 6. 'When exchange rate risk and regional uncertainty increase, it is time to introduce new tools to construct a more flexible financial strategy framework,' Ko said, adding: 'As former Dean Chen Chong said, Bitcoin is the gun of the digital era. It may also be the gold of the digital era, the silver of the digital era. Or it could be gunpowder. A wise nation will not let weapons be in others' hands.' The news comes as Taiwan is emerging as a crypto-friendly jurisdiction, with the Financial Supervisory Commission pushing institutional trials of crypto custody services in late 2024. Mainland China continues to maintain its hostile stance on cryptocurrency after imposing a ban on multiple crypto activities, including mining, in 2021. Source:
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Taiwan plans stricter rules for officials' travel to China
Lai Ching-te, Taiwanese President (ANI) TAIPEI: Taiwan is weighing stricter controls on travel to China by legislators and elected officials, potentially requiring prior approval to prevent infiltration efforts by Beijing, a national security official said on Saturday, Taipei Times reported. The move comes amid growing concerns over the exposure of sensitive information through unofficial or undocumented exchanges during such visits. President William Lai, in March, had unveiled a package of 17 countermeasures targeting Chinese infiltration , with a focus on ensuring transparency in the travel of civil servants to China. The measures aim to make officials publicly accountable for their cross-strait movements and limit opportunities for covert influence operations. According to the official, the government is considering amending the act governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and Mainland Area to standardise travel regulations across all levels of public service. The proposed changes would apply to military personnel, civil servants, borough wardens, elected officials, and lawmakers, reported Taipei Times. "As these people exercise public authority, they are prime targets of Chinese infiltration, and their trips to China should be open and transparent," the official said. "The Legislative Yuan is a national security loophole," they said, pointing out that lawmakers currently are not obligated to seek approval for China trips despite having access to sensitive national information. Moreover, the legislature does not disclose which of its members handle classified data, unlike other government agencies that follow strict security reporting protocols. Under the proposed system, travel oversight would be implemented through a tiered approach. "Grassroots civil servants would not be required to obtain permission to travel to China, but would have to publicly disclose their travel," the official said. In contrast, individuals with access to classified information would face tighter scrutiny, with some cases requiring joint reviews and formal approvals, Taipei Times reported. Although lower-level public servants may not handle sensitive material, they remain potential infiltration targets, the official added. Once revisions to the law are in place, a complete set of supporting measures will be rolled out to ensure consistent enforcement and oversight.
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Business Standard
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Taiwan plans to tighten China travel rules for lawmakers, officials
Taiwan is weighing stricter controls on travel to China by legislators and elected officials, potentially requiring prior approval to prevent infiltration efforts by Beijing, a national security official said on Saturday, Taipei Times reported. The move comes amid growing concerns over the exposure of sensitive information through unofficial or undocumented exchanges during such visits. President William Lai, in March, had unveiled a package of 17 countermeasures targeting Chinese infiltration, with a focus on ensuring transparency in the travel of civil servants to China. The measures aim to make officials publicly accountable for their cross-strait movements and limit opportunities for covert influence operations. According to the official, the government is considering amending the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and Mainland Area to standardise travel regulations across all levels of public service. The proposed changes would apply to military personnel, civil servants, borough wardens, elected officials, and lawmakers, reported Taipei Times. "As these people exercise public authority, they are prime targets of Chinese infiltration, and their trips to China should be open and transparent," the official said. "The Legislative Yuan is a national security loophole," they said, pointing out that lawmakers currently are not obligated to seek approval for China trips despite having access to sensitive national information. Moreover, the legislature does not disclose which of its members handle classified data, unlike other government agencies that follow strict security reporting protocols. Under the proposed system, travel oversight would be implemented through a tiered approach. "Grassroots civil servants would not be required to obtain permission to travel to China, but would have to publicly disclose their travel," the official said. In contrast, individuals with access to classified information would face tighter scrutiny, with some cases requiring joint reviews and formal approvals, Taipei Times reported. Although lower-level public servants may not handle sensitive material, they remain potential infiltration targets, the official added. Once revisions to the law are in place, a complete set of supporting measures will be rolled out to ensure consistent enforcement and oversight.
CNA
22-04-2025
- Business
- CNA
Taiwan cabinet to ask parliament to unfreeze US$4 billion amid budget standoff
TAIPEI: Taiwan's cabinet said on Tuesday (Apr 22) it will ask the opposition controlled legislature to release more than US$4 billion in funds frozen as part of a stand-off over this year's budget, which the government says could seriously affect their operations. While the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Lai Ching-te won the presidency in last year's elections, the party lost its majority in parliament. Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), along with the small Taiwan People's Party (TPP), control the most seats, and earlier this year voted through sweeping cuts to 2025's budget, saying they were targeting waste, and froze other funds saying they wanted greater oversight on spending plans. In a statement, cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee said the government will ask parliament to unfreeze NT$138.1 billion (US$4.25 billion) in funds. The cabinet "hopes the Legislative Yuan can unfreeze it all in a short period of time to reduce the difficulties and inconveniences people have in their dealings with the administration", Lee said, using parliament's formal name. The cabinet will also seek a legal interpretation from the constitutional court on both the constitutionality of the budget as passed by lawmakers, and a separate legal amendment granting more money to local governments at the expense of the central government, Lee added. The defence ministry has warned of a "serious impact" to security from the amended budget, saying it will require a cut in defence spending of some NT$80 billion at a time when the island is facing an elevated Chinese military threat. Taiwan's opposition has shown little appetite to seek compromise with the government on the budget issue, given they are angered at a campaign led by civic groups and backed by senior DPP officials to recall a swathe of opposition lawmakers. The KMT and TPP chairmen met earlier on Tuesday vowing to redouble efforts to work together against the "green communists", referring to the DPP's party colours, and will hold a joint protest in front of the presidential office on Saturday. "We don't just want to take down Lai Ching-te, but the entire corrupt, arrogant and abusive system," KMT Chairman Eric Chu wrote on his Facebook page after meeting TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang. Lai and the DPP's public approval ratings have remained relatively high. A poll last week by Taiwan television station Mirror TV put the DPP's approval rating at 45 per cent, relatively steady over the past year, with both the KMT and TPP on around 28 per cent, both down compared with the year ago period.
