Taiwan’s spy chief warns on plan for ‘peaceful reunification’

Taiwan’s spy chief warns on plan for ‘peaceful reunification’

2024-03-11

China’s rubber-stamp parliament has just concluded its annual meeting, after passing a resolution on “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan. Speaking at the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan’s intelligence chief said that the term “peaceful reunification” does not preclude threats of violence.

Tsai Ming-yen
National Security Bureau director-general
Whenever parliaments of friendly nations pass pro-Taiwan resolutions, or when foreign ships patrol near Taiwan, or when foreign dignitaries visit Taiwan, China intensifies its regular military operations in response, to intimidate through a show of force. It also engages in cognitive warfare and the distribution of contentious information.

Tsai warned of China escalating its military threats and gray zone tactics, in a way that coerces Taiwan to unify. He said that in the lead-up to Taiwan’s presidential inauguration on May 20, China is expected to ramp up efforts to pressure and persuade.

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中國兩會定調對台"和統" 蔡明彥示警:脅迫性和統

2024-03-11

中國兩會正式落幕，包括中國國家主席習近平與全國政協通過的"政治決議"，都談到和平統一，國安局長蔡明彥赴立院備詢，強調在習近平主導下，兩會功能薄弱，但蔡明彥認為所謂"和統"，帶有高度威脅。

[[國安局長蔡明彥]]
“當友我國家的國會通過友台議案，或是有外艦巡弋台海周邊水域，或是剛好有外國政要到台灣訪問，中國也會搭配到現有常態化戰備警巡，配合到這些外交事件來做一些操作，武力的恫嚇以外，也會配合到認知作戰，還有爭議訊息的散佈”

雖然目前中方對台仍是採和統，但軍事恫嚇、灰色地帶作戰等壓拉兩面手法作為持續，讓台海情勢升溫，變成"脅迫性和統"。蔡明彥示警，在520新政府上任前，中方勢必持續加強壓迫與拉攏兩手策略。

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U.S. news outlet CNN visited a TSMC facility in Taichung. With a market cap of US$671 billion, TSMC has been named one of the most important companies in the world, the reporter said. During an interview, TSMC Chair Mark Liu said the company’s “secret weapon” was Taiwan’s talent.

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CNN also covered TSMC’s global expansion. It noted the company’s labor challenges in the U.S. and Germany, and said that TSMC had just opened a plant in Kumamoto, Japan. It said TSMC was on the verge of producing a 1.4 nanometer chip.

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Another report focused on TSMC founder Morris Chang, saying he transformed Taiwan’s history. The report described TSMC as a “silicon shield” for Taiwan, pointing out that 90% of the world’s advanced chips are made on the island.

Joseph Wu
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TSMC is going to be a deterrence against the idea of aggression against Taiwan.

TSMC has garnered attention around the world, highlighting the key position of Taiwan’s semiconductors in global geopolitics.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Tsai thanks Washington-based scholars for attention to Taiwan

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NDC starts renovation of Cold War housing in Taipei’s Zhongshan

Taiwan has launched the renovation of a U.S. dormitory complex in Taipei’s Zhongshan District. The homes were built 71 years ago, for U.S. civilian personnel sent to Taiwan during the Cold War. Now in a state of disrepair, the dorms will be renovated and repurposed in a project by the National Development Council.

A cozy Western cottage with Japanese roof tiling. Step in the door to find a living room with a fireplace, three spacious bedrooms, an American-style kitchen, and ample storage on the side. This dorm was built by the KMT for U.S. officials 71 years ago. It’s about to get a new lease on life through a restoration project.

Kung Ming-hsin
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This dormitory complex offers a glimpse into history. In 1949, the KMT government moved to Taiwan, and the Korean War broke out the next year. Seeking to unify the region against the Communist threat, the U.S. sent military, economic, and technical support to Taiwan. This led to the construction of the dorms in 1953. The homes were initially used by American officials, as well as personnel of the Sino-American Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction. After the U.S. cut ties with Taiwan in 1979, they were used by personnel of the AIT. To the north of the cluster is Taipei’s first American school. There’s also Zhongshan Girls High School, which was established during the Japanese colonial period. Jianguo Brewery is another landmark in this historically important neighborhood.

Jeremy Cornforth
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This ceremony is a testimony to the long-standing and robust ties between the United States and Taiwan. Since that time, Taiwan has developed into a model advanced economy and a vibrant democracy, and the United States-Taiwan partnership has steadily deepened.

There are old American dormitories all across Taiwan. The best-known ones in the north include the Yangmingshan military housing and the civilian accommodations on Chang’an East Road and Longjiang Road. Similar accommodations can be found along Taichung’s Meicun Road and Kaohsiung Zuoying District. Taiwan officials say the goal is to eventually preserve them all, so that they can continue to bear witness to history.

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This work is called "Beard has a Face." Mia Liu’s work was inspired by Hong Kong writer Xixi. She used pen, acrylic paint, french watercolor paper, denim fabric, mulberry paper, crayon, and aluminum panel mounting to create the piece. Liu is exhibiting her works at a zero-waste fashion exhibition in Taipei till April.

Mia Liu
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This work is called “Beard Has a Face.” What is unique about this work is that you can see that there is a denim circle on the outside. It is a special denim cloth. I read a novel by the late Hong Kong writer Xixi. The novel is about "Beard Has a Face” – which is the name of a person. This person is very interesting and often asks, "Why do the tables touch the chairs?" When I was working on this piece, I thought, maybe we can imagine something different and put cloth and paper together.

Liu is a visual artist from Taiwan. Her works have been exhibited throughout Asia, America, and Europe. Her works range from paper sculpture, and drawing, to spatial installation, photography, video installation, botanical sculpture, and more. Over the past few years, Liu has been exploring how contemporary textiles can fuse with traditional painting and calligraphy.

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After her Taipei exhibition concludes, Liu will exhibit her works in London from May 16 till 19.

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National Taiwan University Hospital is building a state-of-the-art employee dormitory for staff, right in the heart of Taipei. The dorm costs NT$2.6 billion to build, and is expected to be operational by 2028. At the project’s groundbreaking ceremony, hospital administrators said the complex will improve employees’ quality of life. Parents will be able to take advantage of an onsite preschool and daycare, so that they can focus fully on their jobs.

Wielding golden shovels, National Taiwan University President Chen Wen-chang and other administrators break ground on new staff dormitory.

To improve employee welfare, NTU Hospital is building a new dormitory on Ren’ai Road, inside the Bo’ai Special Zone in Taipei.

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Of course, I’d like to thank NTU Hospital’s former superintendents for their foresight.
This land used to belong to the National Property Administration. We expect construction to wrap up and the building to open in 2028.

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A survey by the Health Promotion Administration shows that spending more than 11 hours outdoors per week will reduce the incidence of developing shortsightedness within one year by 55%. But in this age of technology, more and more pre-school children are using digital devices. Caring for our eyesight is lifelong. Helping kids develop good habits could protect them from extreme shortsightedness for life.

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“A good night’s sleep guarantees good health.” It’s a saying grounded in good evidence. A Japanese study has suggested that sleeping on a pillow that’s too high can raise the risk of stroke, a conclusion corroborated by this Taiwanese cardiologist.

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There are hundreds of different types of pillows on the market. How should you choose? Doctors suggest that support for the neck is the most important thing.

This physiatrist recommends that your neck should be able to rest on the pillow so that it can relax fully. If your sleep quality is poor, insomnia and a stiff neck are common symptoms, alongside many other minor and more serious ailments. But more data is still needed to prove a link between the height of your pillow and the risk of stroke.

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Your pillow and your risk of stroke are two separate things. Regarding the debate about stroke, we should find the risk factors, for example, does the person have high blood pressure, diabetes, and so on.

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Indonesian artist Timoteus Anggawan Kusno is holding a video exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei. He’s showing two video works exploring Indonesia’s colonial past. FTV reporter Stephany Yang spoke to the exhibit’s curator to learn more.

Using bamboo props in the shape of horses, the dancers chant and communicate with ancestral spirits.

The performance takes place in a former villa of the Dutch elites who controlled Indonesia’s sugar industry. This is one of the video works created by Indonesian artist Timoteus Anggawan Kusno. Through this work, he tells the story of Indonesia’s past and the effects of the sugar industry on local society and culture.

Violet Lin
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He collaborated with local Indonesian dancers. For the artist, communicating with the ancestral spirits is a bit like having a dialogue with the local history of Indonesia. Through the video, he hopes to use dialogue with spirits to explore local Indonesian history. The video also draws inspiration from Indonesia’s own elements. Indonesia was ruled by the West in the 19th century, including by the Dutch. The footage delves into the sugar industry, which was developed during the Dutch colonial period, showing the villas where high-ranking officials lived and sugarcane fields.

Another video work was shot on a railway built during the Dutch colonial period in Indonesia. The artist included archival footages of the Dutch colonization, political propaganda, and past totalitarian regimes. The exhibition aims to provide a deeper understanding of the period of political transition in Indonesia and the country’s colonial culture.

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Using railway imagery, the artist simulates the colonizers’ perspective on Indonesia. Although these colonial and authoritarian cultures are no longer part of Indonesia today, there are still traces of memories and indelible relics remaining in the fabric of daily life.

The exhibition will be on show until April 21 at MOCA in Taipei.

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