Government estimates 120 Taiwanese nationals missing in Cambodia

Government estimates 120 Taiwanese nationals missing in Cambodia

2022-08-16

The Criminal Investigation Bureau on Tuesday refuted reports that 4,000 Taiwanese nationals had gone missing in Cambodia. Government figures put the real estimate much lower, at 120 people. Premier Su Tseng-chang on Tuesday said investigations will continue, adding that that the government will offer help for Taiwanese to return to Taiwan. Su’s comments came amid criticism from a KMT lawmaker, who says only two people are assisting in rescue operations in Cambodia. Let’s hear from the lawmaker.

Hung Meng-kai
KMT lawmaker
The government’s taskforce is really just two people. One is in charge of emergency rescue operations, and the other in charge of consular affairs. It is absolutely not enough.

Su Tseng-chang
Premier
The government is watching the matter closely, collecting all the relevant information and interviewing the relevant people. We have found that only 120 people have gone missing. We will continue investigating the matter, and rescuing our people.

Taiwan has seen a string of reports in recent weeks of Taiwanese falling victim to scams in Cambodia promising high-paying jobs. Victims in the human trafficking schemes report being locked up, abused and prevented from returning to Taiwan.

柬埔寨詐騙頻傳蘇揆:120人失聯持續追查

2022-08-16

國人受騙到柬埔寨工作遭囚禁、虐待消息頻傳，立委洪孟楷從歐洲飛往柬埔寨了解狀況，質疑已經一個月過去，到底政府動起來了沒？但行政院長蘇貞昌嚴正澄清，政府非常關心在柬埔寨受害的民眾，政府持續蒐集資料、逐家訪談後，發現有120人失聯，正在持續追查、救援。

[[立委(國) 洪孟楷]]
“真正支援我們官方的人員只有兩名，一名是負責急難救助，一名負責領務，也因此這是遠遠不夠的。”

[[行政院長蘇貞昌]]
“政府非常關心，我們蒐集所有資料，逐家訪談，發覺只有120位還失聯。我們持續追查，並已經救回一些國人。”

有網路媒體報導，「超過4000名國人柬埔寨失蹤」，刑事局澄清，該媒體所引述數字有誤，已請媒體更正澄清。

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Former US Deputy State Secretary Armitage says Xi Jinping is making errors

U.S. deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage has called China a bully, adding that Chinese leader Xi Jinping had recently been making many mistakes. The comments were made during an interview with Radio Free Asia where the official weighed in on China’s increasing military action near Taiwan. Armitage also played down the threat of an armed conflict in the Taiwan Strait. He said that China’s white paper on Taiwan had little significance, and that Taiwan would be a challenging military target. He also called on U.S. President Joe Biden to speed up weapons sales to Taiwan to show the U.S.’ support for Taiwan.

Following recent congressional delegations to Taiwan, China has launched a series of military exercises aimed at intimidating Taiwan. The situation has further exacerbated the already tense U.S.-China relationship. In an interview with Radio Free Asia, former U.S. Deputy State Secretary Richard Armitage addressed the issue, and criticized China for what he called bullying behavior.

Richard Armitage
Former US deputy secretary of state
He’s made a series of errors, and I would say his bullying behavior – particularly against Taiwan – is another error, another error that he’s made.

Armitage led his own delegation in Taiwan back in April, when he visited on behalf of U.S. President Joe Biden to express his country’s support for Taiwan. Asked in the interview what China’s exercises meant for the U.S.’ allies in the region, Armitage said that bullying was the only move in China’s playbook.

Richard Armitage
Former US deputy secretary of state
China has a playbook too, but it’s only got one play, and it’s militarily bullying people, and so that’s what China’s trying to do with the recent exercises, the second exercises around Taiwan.

Armitage said that Chinese leader Xi Jinping has been making numerous mistakes including his actions in the Taiwan Strait, his response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and his zero-COVID policy. Even if Xi were to hold on to power after China holds its National Congress in November, Xi would be facing numerous problems, he said.

Richard Armitage
Former US deputy secretary of state
The life on Taiwan, the life Taiwanese have lived under since coming ashore in Taiwan in 1949. First of all, Taiwan is not an easy target for the Chinese, particularly the mountainous nature.

Armitage said that Taiwan would be a difficult military target for China, but he advised the Biden administration to expedite sale of land and sea-based defense systems for Taiwan. Such action would demonstrate the U.S.’ support for Taiwan, he said. On the issue of China’s recent white paper on Taiwan, he said it was largely an attempt at cognitive warfare with no real significance.

2022-08-16

The military refutes China claim that PLA aircraft flew over Penghu

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry has debunked a social media post from China’s military, which claims to have taken a video of Taiwan’s Penghu County from a warplane. The ministry says the social media post is part of the PLA’s cognitive warfare strategy, just as its announcement of further combat drills in waters surrounding Taiwan. Meanwhile, at the other side of the Pacific, U.S. media outlets say another official U.S. delegation will visit Taiwan later this month.

The defense ministry has released a video ahead of Armed Forces Day, which is to be held on Sept. 3. It hopes the video will help boost troop morale amid incessant Chinese military drills near Taiwan.

The Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command released its own video through Chinese social-media platform Weibo, and announced joint navy and air force drills in the waters around Taiwan. The social media post also claimed that PLA aircraft had surveyed Penghu County at close distance and were “on Taiwan’s doorstep.” The claim has been refuted by a Taiwanese military official.

Tung Pei-lun
Air Force
The Chinese Communist Party uses cognitive warfare and makes exaggerated claims. I think that’s an indisputable fact.

Sun Li-fang
Defense ministry spokesperson
The CCP acts in this provocative way toward us every day now. From our perspective, this is simply an opportunity to train more.

The military says it is always at the ready, and is resolute in its determination to protect the country. U.S. officials are also defiant in the face of Chinese threats. Senator Ed Markey recently led a delegation to Taiwan that left on Monday. U.S. media reports say that another delegation is planned for the end of this month.

Joanne Ou
Foreign affairs spokesperson
As of August, 19 members of the U.S. Congress have visited Taiwan this year. The foreign ministry’s position is that we wholeheartedly welcome U.S. members of congress, and friends at all levels of society, to visit Taiwan, and to support Taiwan.

Since 2021, 33 members of the U.S. Congress have visited Taiwan, sending a clear message to China about the U.S.’ support for Taiwan.

2022-08-16

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NPP calls for stricter checks on politician’s visits to China

The New Power Party on Tuesday held a press conference calling on the government to implement stricter controls on visits to China by Taiwanese politicians. The proposal comes after the KMT sent a delegation to China last week led by KMT Vice Chair Andrew Hsia. The visit has been slammed by officials from all major parties, including the KMT. Premier Su Tseng-chang, for example, has said the delegation is essentially colluding with the enemy. But some, like KMT Vice Chair Sean Lien, say Hsia is doing the right thing by not giving in to public humiliation.

KMT Vice Chair Andrew Hsia last week led a delegation on a trip to China. Questioning his motives for crossing the strait at such a critical juncture, the New Power Party says the government should strengthen control on China visits.

Chiu Hsieh-chih
New Power Party lawmaker
These high-ranking KMT officials have paid no mind to these criticisms, and are going ahead with the visit. We must question, who is this visit benefiting? The KMT is dashing to visit China. Is it because they are worried that they are losing influence? Is that why they are rushing to reaffirm their loyalty to China?

Hsia’s delegation is scheduled to start its China itinerary on Aug. 21, after they are released from quarantine. Reports say Hsia had initially planned to meet with Wang Yang, the chair of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, as well as Liu Jieyi, the head of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office. The meetings were reportedly replaced with events with Taiwanese businesspeople in China to reduce public backlash in Taiwan. Even then, opposition to the visit is coming from all sides in Taiwan. Within the KMT, New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen and five other candidates running for mayor or commissioner have voiced opposition to the visit. Meanwhile Taipei mayoral candidate Chiang Wan-an has said that the itinerary should be made public and transparent, and that Hsia should protest China’s military drills.

Chiang Wan-an
Taipei mayoral candidate (KMT)
I strongly advise Vice Chair Hsia to clearly express our opposition to China’s military drills during his visit.

But not all within the KMT have reservations. Fellow KMT Vice Chair Sean Lien has voiced his full support for Hsia. He says that Hsia’s decision to visit at a time of heightened cross-strait tensions while “carrying a heavy burden” and “enduring public humiliation” was the right thing to do.

Su Tseng-chang
Premier
A political party puts together a delegation to go to the enemy camp and exchange information. What is this so-called “humiliation?” What’s the “heavy burden?” It’s ludicrous. Even the KMT’s candidates for the upcoming election keep saying that it’s a kind of surrender. It’s inappropriate. The KMT should wake up and stop dancing to China’s fiddle.

Premier Su Tseng-chang slammed Lien, saying that Hsia was colluding with the enemy, and urging the KMT to wake up.

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US Department of State says China is ‘overreacting’ to congressional delegation visit

China on Monday announced a fresh wave of combat drills near Taiwan, after the visit of a U.S. congressional delegation led by Senator Ed Markey. Officials in the U.S. said China’s actions are an overreaction, adding that the visit was done in accordance with the U.S.’ “one China” policy. Markey has released a statement on his Taiwan visit, saying that the U.S. should continue to cooperate with Taiwan to avoid conflict and miscalculation in the Taiwan Strait.

A delegation led by U.S. Senator Ed Markey visited Taiwan the past two days. On Monday, the PLA announced further combat drills near Taiwan. The U.S. Department of State has criticized the move.

Ned Price
US Department of State spokesperson
Any response to a peaceful visit by members of Congress, any response that entails bellicose rhetoric or military maneuvers or provocative actions is totally unnecessary and an absolute overreaction.

U.S. Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said that 10 U.S. delegations had visited Taiwan so far this year, all of them in accordance with the U.S.’ “One China” policy. He criticized Beijing for overreacting to the visits.

Ned Price
US Department of State spokesperson
And they will continue to do so. Some 10 or more congressional delegations have visited Taiwan this year alone.

After departing Taiwan, Markey released a statement on his delegation’s two-day itinerary in Taiwan. He said the delegation exchanged views with Taiwanese counterparts in a wide variety of issues including support for peace and stability in Taiwan.

CNN reporter
They met today with the Taiwanese president. And notably after, she praised the group saying that she was so happy that they visited at this key moment in time. And that certainly is an important comment that this was a key moment.

The statement continued saying, “Consistent with our commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. must continue to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the international community and help Taiwan withstand cross-strait coercion. We must continue to work together to avoid conflict and miscalculation in the Taiwan Strait.”

Robin Wright
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
You did see a bipartisan delegation going there. I think there are those in Washington who feel it’s time to say to China, “Don’t keep meddling in the South China Sea,” “Don’t keep threatening Taiwan.”

The statement said Markey had met with TSMC representatives to discuss partnerships to improve semiconductor supply chains and investment in the U.S.

CNN reporter
And they say the goal of the meetings are to discuss trade, economic cooperation and certainly to reduce the tensions in the region.

The delegation’s visit has been slammed by China, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi calling it a “blatant provocation” and saying that China had to take the necessary and legitimate countermeasures. Meanwhile, in a rare move, the Philippine ambassador to the U.S. weighed in on the matter, saying that if conflict erupts in the Taiwan Strait, the Philippines would stand with the U.S., just as it did during World War II.

2022-08-16