March 9:
Taiwan's government is investigating public sector personnel holding mainland Chinese identification cards, passports, residence permits, and settlement permits. The scope has expanded to include public foundation and state-owned enterprises, with contract workers also under scrutiny. Some individuals without civil servant status are affected. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) stated that refusing to sign a declaration may risk career setbacks, which has been criticized as intimidating citizens.
Meanwhile, the National Immigration Agency, Ministry of the Interior, citing national security concerns, revoked the residence permit of a mainland spouse for posting TikTok videos advocating for China's military unification. Scholars have questioned this as infringing on freedom of speech.
March 10:
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen, co-convener of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, faced criticism for receiving funding from "foreign forces," including $405,000 from Soros' Open Society Foundations, and the U.S. Department of State. Taipei City Councilor Hou Han-ting released a record where Shen claimed funds were transferred to his personal account by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), and AIT representatives would review civil defense training results. Shen even remarked that Chinese missile attacks could "greatly benefit us."
March 10:
According to the United Daily News, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology signed a technology transfer agreement with Raytheon, the manufacturer of Patriot missiles, to produce sub-antennas for the Patriot radar system. This marks Taiwan's first entry into the U.S. military supply chain for standard weapon components. The parts will be supplied globally and used for the Taiwan military's Patriot units, eliminating the need for Pentagon sales requests.
March 10:
The Ministry of National Defense expanded its investigation into whether military personnel had held mainland Chinese identification cards. However, conscripts with dual Taiwanese and mainland Chinese citizenship are not required to renounce their mainland ID but must still serve in the military. The MAC clarified that under the Act Governing Cross-Strait Relations, individuals with mainland household registration or passports lose their Taiwanese identity but retain responsibilities and obligations tied to their Taiwanese status.
March 10:
Mr. Ko Wen-je, former chairman of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), detained on charges, attended his father's funeral under police escort. During the family ceremony, Ko tearfully read a eulogy, lamenting judicially fabricated charges, searches, and detention, and that hearing his father's death in prison is his lifelong regret. Ko left before the public ceremony began, while his wife, Ms. Chen Pei-chi, accused the judiciary of political interference and human rights violations. Former presidents Chen Shui-bian and Ma Ying-jeou, as well as Speaker Han Kuo-yu of the Legislative Yuan, attended the funeral, but the Ko family declined representatives from the Office of the President.
March 11:
Ahead of the United States imposing a 25 percent tariff on imported steel and aluminum, the Ministry of Finance announced an anti-dumping investigation into specific hot-rolled steel products and beer from mainland China. Scholars suggest this move aims to prevent low-cost mainland steel from flooding Taiwan if barred from the American market. However, if mainland China perceives this as unfriendly, it may retaliate with trade sanctions or withdraw benefits under the Cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), potentially causing significant losses for Taiwan.
March 11:
U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff war sparked fears of economic recession, leading to a massive sell-off in American stock indices, which also heavily impacted Taiwan's stock market. Panic selling caused the Taiwan Stock Exchange to plummet 388 points, closing at 22,071 points—the first time the annual line was breached since February 1, 2023, despite government intervention.
March 13:
President Lai Ching-te convened a high-level national security meeting, officially defining China as a "hostile foreign force" and proposing 17 strategies to address five major national security threats. Measures include reinstating military courts, tightening cross-strait exchanges, scrutinizing applications for mainland Chinese IDs, investigating artist actions undermining national dignity, and establishing transparency for religious group exchanges with the mainland. The Taiwan Affairs Office of the mainland's State Council warned that if pro-independence forces cross the red line, "decisive measures" will be taken.
