2024/12/7-2024/12/13

12/7
台灣XREX虛擬貨幣交易所首席區塊鏈金融犯罪調查師陳梅慧車禍身亡。由於陳身分特殊,她正在追查多起重大弊案也因而停擺,民間司改會、反詐團體等都質疑這起事故「不單純」,陰謀論四起;檢察總長邢泰釗認為有查明必要,已成立專案小組調查。

December 7:

Chen Mei-hui, the chief blockchain financial crime investigator at Taiwan's XREX cryptocurrency exchange, died in a car accident. Due to her special role, several major fraud cases that she was investigating have been suspended. Civil judicial reform groups and anti-fraud organizations suspect that the accident was not as simple as it seems, leading to various conspiracy theories. Prosecutor-General Hsing Tai-chao of the Supreme Prosecutors Office believes that investigation is needed and established a special task force to look into the matter. 


12/7
中共重要對台智囊、大陸全國台灣研究會會長汪毅夫原定來台參加一場閉門學術研討會,最後未能成行,錯失與陸委會主委邱垂正當面互動的機會。汪未能來台傳出疑我方國安高層作梗。汪與中共領導人習近平是公認的摯友,多次就涉台涉外議題建言獻策,一般認為汪對台立場較為和緩。

December 7:

Wang Yifu, an important advisor on Taiwan affairs to the Chinese Communist Party and president of mainland China's National Taiwan Research Association, was scheduled to attend a closed-door academic seminar in Taiwan but ultimately did not make the trip. The missed opportunity for face-to-face interaction with Minister Chiu Chui-cheng of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has led to speculation that Taiwan's senior national security officials may have intervened. Wang, a close friend of Chinese President Xi Jinping, has frequently offered advice on Taiwan-related and foreign affairs issues and is generally considered to have a more moderate stance on Taiwan. 


12/8
立法院前院長王金平拋出兩岸新論述,主張「兩岸治權互不隸屬,主權同而不分」;並認為,「分治而不分立」是兩岸現階段化解對立、打開僵局、創造和平契機的最務實作法。王表示,他不會提九二共識,至於中共是否埋單,講了再看各界反應。這項宣言被視為國民黨本土派的兩岸新論述。

December 8:

Wang Jin-pyng, former speaker of the Legislative Yuan, proposed a new narrative on cross-strait relations, advocating that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not subordinate to one another in terms of jurisdiction but share the same undivided sovereignty. According to Wang, "separate governance without separation" is the most pragmatic approach to easing current cross-strait tensions, breaking the deadlock, and creating opportunities for peace. Wang stated that he would not mention the 1992 Consensus and would wait to see reactions from all sides to his proposal and whether mainland China would accept this proposal. This declaration is seen as a new cross-strait narrative backed by the local faction of the Kuomintang (KMT). 


12/9
中共民航部門凌晨6時發布飛航通告,宣布自9日6時至11日20時,在東南沿海開設七處Reserve Area,範圍從長江口到廣東省東部外海。路透等報導,我高階國安官員稱,中共在台灣周遭海域、東海及南海部署近90艘艦艇,約三分之二為軍艦,規模是近30年最大一次。但美國軍方表示,這次部署與過去其他大型演習一致,也不認為與賴清德出訪有關。
中國大陸軍方尚未發表評論,也沒有證實正在進行演習。

December 9:

At 6 AM, mainland China's Civil Aviation Administration issued a flight notice, announcing the establishment of seven reserve areas along the southeast coast from 6 AM on December 9 to 8 PM on December 11, covering areas from the Yangtze River estuary to the eastern offshore waters of Guangdong Province. According to Reuters and other sources, senior Taiwanese national security officials stated that China has deployed nearly 90 ships, about two-thirds of which are warships, in the waters around Taiwan, the East China Sea, and South China Sea, marking the largest deployment in nearly three decades. However, the U.S. military stated that this deployment is consistent with past large-scale exercises and does not believe it is related to President Lai Ching-te's recent overseas visit.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has yet to comment or confirm drills taking place.


12/9
財政部公布11月進出口統計,出口410.9億美元,年增率9.7%。在AI商機帶動下,全年出超有望挑戰歷史新高。
其中,對美國出口額將突破歷史紀錄,對東協也有望刷新紀錄,唯獨對中國大陸與香港地區,因受到大陸經濟疲軟、中美對抗,以及供應鏈去中化拖累,可能連三年衰退。

December 9:

The Ministry of Finance announced trade statistics for November, with exports reaching $41 billion, a year-on-year growth rate of 9.7 percent. Driven by artificial intelligence (AI) business opportunities, the annual trade surplus is expected to hit a record high.

Exports to the United States and Southeast Asian nations are expected to set new records. However, exports to mainland China and Hong Kong may decline for three consecutive years due to the weak mainland economy, U.S.-China confrontation, and supply chain de-coupling. 


12/11
陸委會宣布同意北市舉辦雙城論壇,但設有但書,若中共對台施壓情勢惡化,將隨時要求北市延期。但同時,陸委會直接駁回原本要隨團的上海市台辦新任主任金梅等部分團員申請。台北市長蔣萬安表示遺憾,呼籲對民主韌性有信心,開大門走大路。
雙城論壇是兩岸僅存極少數官方對話平台,自2010年起,台北與上海輪流舉辦,本次由上海副市長華源率團訪台。

December 11: 

The MAC announced its approval for Taipei to host the Twin Cities Forum, but with a caveat that if the pressure from Communist China on Taiwan worsens, Taipei may be asked to postpone the event at any time. At the same time, the MAC directly rejected the application of some members of the Shanghai Taiwan Affairs Office delegation, including the new director Jin Mei. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an expressed regret and called for confidence in Taiwan’s democratic resilience, as well as open and straightforward communication. 

The Twin Cities Forum is one of the few remaining official cross-strait dialogue platforms, held alternately by Taipei and Shanghai since 2010. This time, the delegation from Shanghai will be led by Deputy Mayor Hua Yuan. 


12/11
立法院財政委員會前往金門考察,召委陳玉珍與在地金融銀行業者座談時,拋出「兩岸金融試點試行地區」倡議。得到中國大陸國台辦正面回應,願與金門共同探索兩岸金融領域融合發展的新路徑新樣式。

December 11:

The Finance Committee of the Legislative Yuan visited Kinmen for an inspection. During a discussion with local financial and banking industry representatives, Legislator and committee chair Chen Yu-jen proposed the initiative of “cross-strait financial pilot zones.” This received a positive response from the Taiwan Affairs Office of mainland China’s State Council, which expressed willingness to explore new paths and models for cross-strait financial integration and development with Kinmen.

 

12/12
立法院進行大法官被提名人同意權審查,對死刑態度成為焦點,七人中四人主張廢死,一人不表態,兩人支持死刑。
9月憲法法庭作出「實質廢死」判決後,也出現死刑改判無期徒刑的首例。2022年一起8死縱火案,陳姓兇嫌燒死母親、妻兒,但因自首時顯露懊悔,被認定符合減刑要件。改判也引起輿論爭議。

December 12: 

The Legislative Yuan conducted a review of the nominees for grand justice of the Constitutional Court, Judicial Yuan, with their attitudes towards the death penalty a focal point. Among the seven nominees, four advocate for abolishing the death penalty, one did not express an opinion, and two support the death penalty. 

Following the Constitutional Court's ruling which substantively abolished the death penalty in September, the first case of a death sentence commuted to life imprisonment emerged. In a 2022 arson case that resulted in eight deaths, the suspect put on a fire burning his mother, wife, and children to death. However, due to his showing remorse upon surrendering, he was deemed eligible for a reduced sentence. The commutation has sparked public controversy.