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☆ Exclusive: China lures hundreds of Taiwan politicians with cheap trips before election
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Yimou Lee | Thomson Reuters | Yimou Lee Is A Senior Correspondent For Reuters Covering Everything Taiwan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Across Taiwan security agencies are looking into more than 400 visits to China in the past month, most led by local opinion leaders such as borough chiefs and village heads, a Taiwan security official looking into China's activities told Reuters. He said it was "self-evident" Beijing was trying to sway Taiwan elections through means including free trips for politicians. More than 300 borough chiefs or village heads from populous central Taiwan alone have participated in such trips to China in the past few months, this person said. "Certain borough chiefs have become the window of contacts in Taiwan for some Chinese units." Chinese officials allegedly asked participants to support certain political parties and "oppose Taiwan independence", the prosecutors said in a statement.

Persons: Tsai Ing, Chiu Tai, Hsing Tai, chao, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, William Mallard Organizations: Beijing, Reuters, China's Taiwan Affairs Office, Mainland Affairs Council, Chinese Communist Party, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, Beijing, China, Taiwan, Taipei, Shanghai, New Taipei City, Kaohsiung

TAIPEI, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Terry Gou, the billionaire founder of tech giant Foxconn (2317.TW), on Friday withdrew from the race to be Taiwan's next president, bringing a sense of relief to the major Apple (AAPL.O) supplier and iPhone manufacturer, sources said. Complete the change of power and change Taiwan," Gou said. Despite a massive advertising campaign, which saw his face plastered across Taiwan, Gou consistently polled far behind his rivals. Although Gou stepped down as Foxconn chief in 2019 and resigned as a board member in early September, he remained the company's largest shareholder. "It's a sigh of relief," said one of the sources, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Persons: Terry Gou, Gou, Hou Yu, Ko Wen, Ko, Lai Ching, Foxconn, Young Liu, TPP, Tammy Lai, Lai, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, Sarah Wu, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Apple, Democratic Progressive Party, ih, Kuomintang, KMT, Taiwan People's Party, Facebook, Global Times, Reuters, Netflix, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, Ukraine, Taiwan, China, Taipei, Beijing

[1/3] Hsiao Bi-khim, vice presidential candidate for Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and former envoy to the United States, speaks to the media during a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan November 23, 2023. The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) had previously agreed to work together against the ruling DPP but have made no progress on plans for a united presidential ticket. Lai and Hsiao, on the other hand, with a united party behind them, are moving ahead smoothly with their campaign. Their disagreement has gripped Taiwan for the past week, and both parties have insisted they still want to work together. At the Taipei hotel, Gou's campaign set up a digital clock counting down to Friday's election registration deadline of 0930 GMT.

Persons: Hsiao, Ben Blanchard, Lai Ching, Terry Gou, Lai, It's, Gou, Ko Wen, Hou Yu, Huang Shih, Huang, Yimou Lee, Sarah Wu, Jacqueline Wong, Robert Birsel Organizations: Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party, REUTERS, Rights, Democratic Progressive Party, DPP, Kuomintang, KMT, Taiwan People's Party, TPP, ih, Thomson Locations: United States, Taipei, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, China, United, Beijing, Taiwan Strait

In a post on his Facebook page, Lai said he would formally present Hsiao as his running mate on Monday afternoon. "Bi-khim's relationships in D.C. will be invaluable to a President Lai, if he is elected, she's going to bring all of those relationships into his government and he doesn't have those," he told Reuters. The United States, as with most countries, has no formal ties with Taiwan, but is the island's most important international supporter and arms supplier. 'INDEPENDENCE ACT'Like Lai, Hsiao is despised by China, which has twice placed sanctions on her, most recently in April, saying she was an "independence diehard". The DPP champions Taiwan's separate identity from China.

Persons: Hsiao, khim, Morris Chang, Carlos Barria, Lai Ching, Lai, Democratic Progressive Party's, Rupert Hammond, Chambers, Chen Shui, Ben Blanchard, Yimou Lee, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: APEC, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, Democratic Progressive, U.S ., Taiwan Business Council, Reuters, The, ACT, Taiwan Affairs Office, DPP, Kuomintang, KMT, Taiwan People's Party, Facebook, Thomson Locations: U.S, Asia, San Francisco , California, Rights TAIPEI, United States, January's, Washington, Beijing, Taiwan, China, The United States, Japan

Lai, vice president and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate, has almost consistently led opinion polls ahead of an election taking place amid increased Chinese pressure on Taiwan to accept Beijing's sovereignty claims. Vincent Chao, spokesperson for the Lai campaign, declined to comment on Hsiao's role but said an announcement on a running mate would be made on Monday. Randall Schriver, the former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, described Hsiao as a "good partner in promoting U.S.-Taiwan relations." The DPP-led government says only Taiwan's people can decide their future, and has repeatedly offered talks with Beijing but been rebuffed. Like Lai, Hsiao is detested by China, which has on two occasions placed sanctions on her, most recently in April, saying she is an "independence diehard".

Persons: Lai Ching, Lai, Democratic Progressive Party's, Hsiao, Vincent Chao, Ivan Kanapathy, Randall Schriver, Chen Shui, Ben Blanchard, Yimou Lee, Michael Martina, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Democratic Progressive, APEC, Asia, U.S . National Security Council, Reuters, Georgetown University, Patriot, Pacific Security Affairs, U.S, DPP, Taiwan Affairs Office, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, United States, Washington, Taiwan, San Francisco, U.S, Taipei, Ukraine, China, Beijing, Japan

The issue of China, which views Taiwan as its territory, looms over the Jan. 13 parliamentary and presidential elections. It will unite Taiwan," Hou told business leaders after the talks. China cut off routine talks with Taiwan after President Tsai Ing-wen of the DPP took office in 2016. OPPOSITION CHALLENGEChen Yi-fan, an assistant professor of diplomacy and international relations at Taiwan's Tamkang University, said if Hou and Kou did not work together then Lai would certainly win. Lai says only Taiwan's people can decide their future and has repeatedly offers talks with Beijing, which has rejected the offers.

Persons: Eric Chu, Hou Yu, Ma Ying, Ko Wen, Lai Ching, Democratic Progressive Party's, Hou, Tsai Ing, Chen Yi, Kou, Lai, Chen, Ma, Hsiao Hsu, Hsiao, China detests Lai, Ko, Terry Gou, Gou, TPP, Ben Blanchard, Yimou Lee, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Robert Birsel Organizations: Taiwan's Kuomintang, KMT, ih, Kuomintang, Taiwan People’s, Democratic Progressive, Taiwan People's Party, Taiwan's Tamkang University, Beijing, DPP, Apple, Thomson Locations: Taiwan, Taipei, TAIPEI, China, Beijing, U.S, United States

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen poses for a photo with Taiwan's APEC representative and TSMC founder Morris Chang at a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan November 10, 2023. REUTERS/Ann Wang Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Taiwan is working on securing a one-on-one meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and the island's representative at this week's APEC summit in San Francisco, but there is no message planned for China, a senior Taiwanese official said. "The two sides are discussing related arrangements," Koo said when asked whether Chang plans to hold an one-on-one meeting with Biden at APEC. Tensions over Taiwan are likely to feature when Biden meets Chinese President Xi Jinping at the summit. Chang briefly met with Xi at last year's APEC summit in Bangkok, and discussed semiconductors with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

Persons: Tsai Ing, Morris Chang, Ann Wang, Joe Biden, Wellington Koo, Biden, Koo, Chang, Xi Jinping, Xi, Tsai, Kamala Harris, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, Michael Martina, Trevor Hunnicutt, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Taiwan's APEC, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, APEC, Economic Cooperation, Taiwan's National Security Council, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, San Francisco, China, Asia, Beijing, Wellington, United States, Washington, U.S, Bangkok

Terry Gou, the founder of Taiwan's Foxconn, makes a speech at Banqiao Cihui Temple in New Taipei City, Taiwan October 29, 2023. In a statement, Gou thanked his backers for their "enthusiastic support" and vowed to work hard to achieve "peace across the Taiwan Strait". While China's government has not confirmed the Foxconn investigation, Lai has assailed Beijing for targeting the firm. "Aren't we all waiting to see if Terry Gou will run until the end?" Foxconn says Gou no longer has anything to do with the company's day-to-day operations, though he remains its largest single shareholder.

Persons: Terry Gou, Taiwan's, Ann Wang, Gou, Lai Ching, Lai, detests Lai, Wellington Koo, Foxconn, Young Liu, Liu, Jeanny Kao, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Apple, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan's National Security Council, Thomson Locations: New Taipei City, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, Ukraine, China, Beijing

TAIPEI, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Taiwan seeks "peaceful coexistence" with China with free and unrestricted interaction but the island will be democratic for generations to come, President Tsai Ing-wen said in her last national day speech on Tuesday. Speaking in front of the presidential office, Tsai said the strength of international support for Taiwan had reached an "unprecedented height". There was no immediate response from China's Taiwan Affairs Office. Beijing says Taiwan's government must accept that both China and Taiwan belong to "one China", which Tsai has refused to do. The Republic of China remains Taiwan's formal name, though the government tends to stylise it as the Republic of China, Taiwan, to distinguish it from the government in Beijing.

Persons: Tsai Ing, heightening, Tsai, Scott Morrison, China's, Mao Zedong's, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Taiwan, China's Taiwan Affairs Office Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, China, Beijing, Taiwan Strait, United States, Taipei, Asia, Republic of China, People's Republic of China, The Republic of China, Lincoln

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen attends a ceremony for the start of construction of a new submarine fleet in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, November 24, 2020. Admiral Huang Shu-kuang, Tsai's security adviser, who is leading the program, said a fleet of 10 submarines - which includes two Dutch-made submarines commissioned in the 1980s - will make it harder for the Chinese navy to project power into the Pacific. He called the submarines a "strategic deterrent" to Chinese warships crossing the Miyako Strait near southwestern Japan or the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan from the Philippines. "If Taiwan is taken, Japan will definitely not be safe, South Korea will definitely not be safe." Eastern Taiwan is where planners have long envisioned the island's military regrouping and preserving its forces during a conflict.

Persons: Tsai Ing, Ann Wang, Admiral Huang Shu, Huang, Lockheed Martin, Chieh Chung, doesn't, Britain's, Yimou Lee, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Lockheed, Lockheed Martin Corp, U.S ., Shandong, Foundation, Taiwan, Britain's Royal Navy, Thomson Locations: Taiwan, Kaohsiung, Rights TAIPEI, China, Beijing, U.S, Japan, Philippines, Borneo, South Korea, Eastern Taiwan, United States, India, Britain, Gibraltar

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry on Monday urged China to stop "destructive, unilateral action" after reporting a sharp rise in Chinese military activities near the island, warning such behaviour could lead to a sharp increase in tensions. The ministry said that since Sunday it had spotted 103 Chinese military aircraft over the sea, a number it called a "recent high". Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are the common responsibilities of all parties in the region, it added. China's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Taiwan's defence ministry noted last week that July to September is traditionally the busiest season for Chinese military drills along the coast.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Ben Blanchard, Yimou Lee, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Monday, Communist, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Rights TAIPEI, China, Taiwan, Taipei, Taiwan Strait, Philippines, Beijing, South

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry said it spotted 28 Chinese air force planes in its air defence zone on Wednesday morning, part of what Taipei calls regular harassment by Beijing amid heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan's defence ministry said that beginning at around 6 a.m. (2200 GMT Tuesday), Chinese warplanes, including J-10 fighters, had flown into the southwestern corner of the island's air defence identification zone, or ADIZ. China's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Taiwan's forces monitored the situation, including sending up its own air force planes and activating air defence systems, the ministry added, using the normal phrasing for its response to such Chinese incursions. A Chinese naval formation led by the Shandong entered the western Pacific for training, Taiwan's defence ministry said on Monday.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, Christopher Cushing, Christian Schmollinger, Michael Perry, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Taipei, Self, Defense Force, Pacific, Reuters, U.S . Navy, U.S, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Rights TAIPEI, Beijing, Taiwan Strait, Taiwan, China, Shandong, Pacific, Miyako, Japan, Miyako Strait, United States, Philippines, Borneo, U.S, Canadian, India, South China, Tokyo

People represent different countries during seminars on conflict scenarios with China, organised for youth by the Kuomintang (KMT) party, in Taipei, Taiwan May 21, 2023. Younger voters are again playing a role - but this time they are gravitating to dark horse candidate who has become the DPP's closest challenger. Ko Wen-je, a 64-year-old former Taipei mayor, has won over many younger voters with plain talk on issues such as high housing costs rather than focusing on the China threat. Some younger voters may show their hands late, so Ko's appeal to that demographic could close the gap with Lai. Although it may have a healthy lead in opinion polls, the DPP is acutely aware of the dangers of losing younger voters.

Persons: Ann Wang, Tsai Ing, William Lai, Ko Wen, Ko, Lai, Terry Guo, Chen Kuang, Chen, Hou Yu, Mao Zedong's, Ho Chih, yung, Ho, Zheng De, Zheng, Sarah Wu, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, John Geddie, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Kuomintang, KMT, REUTERS, Rights, United States, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan People's Party, Taiwanese Public, DPP, Apple, Chung Cheng, Taiwan's, ih, Reuters, Thomson Locations: China, Taipei, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, Beijing, United, Hong Kong, Lai, Chung Cheng University

Terry Gou, Foxconn founder announces his bid for the Taiwan presidency during a press event in Taipei, Taiwan August 28, 2023. Before he announced his bid to run as an independent on Monday, Gou had sought the KMT ticket for the presidency but failed. But his direct language, along with his business acumen, has drawn crowds in pseudo-campaign events across Taiwan that Gou held in the run-up to his announcement. He showed me how to use the touch screen on the spot," Gou said in 2011 about his relationship with Jobs. Gou told Trump he wanted to be a peacemaker between Taiwan, China and the U.S. as Taiwan's president.

Persons: Terry Gou, Ann Wang, Taiwan's Terry Gou, Democratic Progressive Party's, Gou, Sung Wen, APPLE Gou, Foxconn, Steve Jobs, Jobs, reverentially, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, Trump, Ben Blanchard, Yimou Lee, Sarah Wu, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Apple Inc, Foxconn, Democratic Progressive, DPP, Kuomintang, KMT, Taiwan People's Party, National University's Taiwan Studies, APPLE, Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, Chicago, Atari, Dell, Apple, Sony Corp, Nintendo Co, Microsoft Corp, Communists, Communist Party's, Thomson Locations: Taiwan, Taipei, Rights TAIPEI, China, Beijing, Shanxi, Guangdong, People's Republic of China

Beijing has staged multiple military drills around the island in recent years, drawing condemnation from the United States and its allies. Before he announced his bid to run on Monday, Gou earlier this year sought the candidacy for the opposition KMT, which advocates for friendlier relations with Beijing. The KMT has not disguised its anger at Gou's entry into the race for president, seeing his move as opening the way to a victory for the DPP's Lai by splitting the opposition vote. Most recent polls put the DPP's Lai on around 35-40% of the vote, around 10 percentage points clear of his closest rival. To qualify as an independent, he has to collect close to 300,000 voter signatures by Nov. 2, according to election regulations.

Persons: Foxconn, Terry Gou's, Gou, William Lai, Hou Yu, Hou, Eric Chu, Ko Wen, Ko's TPP, Lai, Ko, Chen Shui, Wang Ting, There's, Ben Blanchard, Yimou Lee, John Geddie, Michael Perry Organizations: Kuomintang, KMT, Democratic Progressive Party, Apple, DPP, New, ih, Taiwan People's Party, Reuters, Facebook, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, China, Taipei, Beijing, United States, New Taipei City, Taiwan

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