September 10:
The United States House of Representatives passed several anti-China bills, including the "Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act," which involves measures such as revealing the assets of Chinese leaders and prohibiting them and their families from using the U.S. financial system and freezing their assets if Beijing uses force against Taiwan.
September 10:
The prototype of the domestically-built submarine Hai Kun is currently in the port testing phase. Navy Chief of Staff Chiu Chun-jung confirmed that the testing progress is about 50 to 60 percent complete, with over 10 deficiencies identified that need correction. The overall schedule is still on track, with the submarine expected to meet delivery conditions by November next year. To maintain flexibility, the construction of the subsequent seven mass-produced submarines will be carried out in batches using a "2+3+2" model. Recently, it was reported that the Hai Kun had failed 70 port tests, prompting the Navy to provide a rare update on the specific progress of the submarine's domestic construction.
September 10:
A single-seat Mirage fighter jet from the Air Force's Hsinchu base lost power and crashed into the sea during a night training flight. The pilot, Captain Hsieh Pei-hsun, ejected and was rescued, confirmed to be conscious and alive. This is the ninth major accident involving Mirage fighter jets since they entered service in 1997.
September 10:
Former mainland Chinese navy submarine captain Ruan Fangyong was prosecuted for illegally entering Taiwan after crossing the strait from Fujian to Tamsui Harbor by speedboat in June. During his court hearing, Ruan stated that he came to Taiwan seeking freedom and presented hand-drawn intelligence on the military deployment along the Fujian coast, hoping to pass it on to the National Security Bureau.
September 10:
The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) announced that the overall earnings of listed companies from investments in mainland China in the first half of 2024 amounted to NT$226.5 billion (about US$7.1 billion), the second highest in history for the same period. The FSC analyzed that the main contributors were the electronics and semiconductor industries, which benefited from favorable product combinations, development of artificial intelligence (AI), and growing demand for automotive electronics, which have driven the growth of supply chain company operations.
September 11:
Kishore Mahbubani, former Singapore permanent representative to the United Nations, was invited to Taiwan to give a lecture. He analyzed that the world is undergoing structural changes, and the era of Western dominance is coming to an end. Taiwan is likely to become a pawn sacrificed in the U.S.-China rivalry. Taiwan should not force the international community to make a choice; if Taiwan chooses independence, the international community would probably side with mainland China. This is the reality of geopolitics.
September 12:
The advisory meeting of the Executive Yuan's Economic Development Committee concluded in early September. Several advisors including academician Chu Ching-yi of Academia Sinica jointly published an article questioning the vested interests of some advisors' suggestions. They pointed out that certain enterprises are demanding tax cuts, which, if strongly promoted as policy, would cause significant harm to the economy. Among the article's co-signers include the brother-in-law of former President Tsai Ing-wen.
September 13:
The Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation (TPOF) released the latest poll regarding the detention of Chairman Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP). The poll showed that 40.3 percent believe Ko received a fair hearing from the court, while 26.4 percent disagree. About 29 percent agree that Ko's case is political persecution by the administration of President Lai Ching-te, while 55 percent disagree. Regarding confidence in the judiciary, 44.2 percent have confidence, while 49.9 percent do not, with the lack of confidence exceeding confidence by 5.7 percentage points. Chairman You Ying-lung of the TOPF believes that more than 5 million people feeling injustice for Ko's case is a phenomenon that cannot be ignored. The TPP's appeal to sympathy has resonated to some extent in society, and anew and significant political conflict has emerged.
September 14:
A mainland Chinese man approached the coast of Linkou District, New Taipei, in a rubber dinghy. He claimed that he wanted to come to Taiwan to start a new life due to his debts. However, there are still many doubts about how the dinghy crossed the 240 nautical miles of sea. The man was transferred to the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office for further questioning and was detained without visitation rights.
This is the second this year of a mainland Chinese using a dinghy to breach Taiwan's coastal defenses and reach onshore, raising national security concerns about coastal defense.
