This Week in Taiwan 0823-0829
August 24: In October last year, Taobao opened a subsidiary in Taiwan in the name of Claddagh Venture Investment Limited but has been questioned to be "fake foreign investment, real mainland Chinese capital." After a nearly 10-month investigation, the Investment Commission, Ministry of Economic Affairs, found that mainland Chinese investor Alibaba has controlling power over Claddagh Venture Investment and that Taobao Taiwan is actually controlled by mainland investment, which violates the Act Governing Cross-Strait Relations. The subsidiary was fined NT$410,000 (about US$14,000) and ordered to withdraw or make a correction within six months. This is the first real control case to find mainland Chinese capital involvement.
August 24: Mainland Chinese students can finally enter Taiwan! The Ministry of Education announced that effective August 24, new students from foreign countries and degree students from the mainland will be able to enroll in Taiwan. An estimated 10,000 satisfies the requirements, including 5,000 mainland students. Foreign students will have to complete a 14-day home isolation. A university executive stated that this is a spring come late.
August 27: Reconnaissance aircrafts of the United States on August 25 entered the airspace of China's military drills. On August 26, China launched four Dongfeng missiles in a rehearsal, escalating tensions in the South China Sea. On August 27, President Tsai Ing-wen said in video remarks to an Australian think tank that given increased military activity in the region, there continue to be significant concerns over the potential of accidents. She calls upon all sides to exercise caution and restraint in order to avoid cross-strait confrontation. She expects Beijing to exercise self-restraint to fulfill its obligations as a major power. It is important to maintain open channels of communication so as to avoid misunderstandings and calculations, President Tsai said.
August 27: Since the implementation of Hong Kong's national security law, many Hong Kong protesters have chosen to sail away illegally to Taiwan to avoid political risks. The coast guard in Guangdong Province seized a suspected illegal cross-border speedboat, detaining more than 10 people. According to foreign media, the vessel failed to sail to Taiwan, and the arrested people were those who have participated in protests, including Edward Lei, who was previously arrested by Hong Kong police.
According to China Times, another boat carrying five Hong Kong protesters in middle or late July drifted to the Pratas Islands due to lack of fuel. They were tracked down by Taiwan's coast guard and are currently housed in Kaohsiung.
August 28: The Constitutional Court of the Judicial Yuan issued Interpretation No. 793, finding that the Act Governing Ill-gotten Party Assets to be constitutional.
The Kuomintang (KMT) and National Women's League criticized the interpretation as a declaration that any future government administration can arbitrarily get rid of its dissenters under the banner of justice.
Four justices dissented and opined that the Act Governing Ill-gotten Party Assets primarily deals with the KMT. Justices of the Constitutional Court ought to be neutral and calm and not dance along the campaign for "transitional justice." The treatment of party assets must not be unscrupulous, or it would hurt the innocent.
August 28: Internet celebrity Holger Chen, popularly known as Kuan Chang, was shot three times and sent to the hospital for emergency aid around 2 AM. The police said that the suspect has turned himself in and appears to have fired because of a dissatisfaction over a previous harassment dispute. Kuan Chang was shot in the arm and leg, and part of a warhead is stuck in his leg and ankle. The hospital said that Chen was able to joke when changing his coverings. His body is recovering well.