Canadian Members Meet with Tsai Ing-wen, Said Taiwan Issues Are Canadian Issues

Canadian House of Representatives National Defense Committee Chairman John McKay led a cross-party delegation to meet Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei. Tsai Ing-wen wants Canada to support Taiwan's entry into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). When French President Macron said that Europe should not be involved in the Taiwan Strait war, Ma Kai emphasized that "Taiwan's issue is Canada's issue."

 

Heavyweight Canadian Member of Parliament Visits Taiwan to Strengthen Security and Diplomatic Cooperation

The Canadian House of Representatives delegation was received by President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan. Tsai Ing-wen expressed welcome and gratitude to Canada for actively defending Taiwan's participation in international organizations and passing many bills to enhance the close relationship between the two countries. Tsai Ing-wen hopes that Taiwan and Canada will sign the "Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement" (FIPA) as soon as possible, and also hopes that Canada will support Taiwan's accession to the CPTPP.

Tsai Ing-wen said, "Taiwan and Canada are highly complementary in the economic field. Canada is also a very important member of the CPTPP. I hope Canada can support Taiwan's joining the CPTPP. Taiwan is ready to abide by high standards of international economic and trade norms together. Create greater growth and prosperity. "

Ma Kai said that Canada and Taiwan have been cooperating closely in economy and trade, but in order to pursue economic prosperity, we must first ensure security. On the issue of infiltration and interference, I hope to listen to Taiwan's experience and express my support for Taiwan. "This visit is to highlight that Taiwan's issues are Canada's issues, and Canada's issues are also Taiwan's issues."

Ken Hardie, chairman of the Canada-China Relations Committee of the House of Representatives, presented the latest "Taiwan Report" released by the committee at the end of March this year to Tsai Ing-wen on behalf of the visiting delegation. Hardy told Tsai Ing-wen that political parties in Canada often have divergent opinions on many issues, but this report has won cross-party support. He also said: "We have discovered a deeper meaning, that is, Canada and Taiwan share common values, such as the importance of democracy, freedom, and freedom of speech."

This is the first time for a member of the Canadian Parliament to visit Taiwan focusing on national defense, diplomacy and security, and the Taiwan Strait is at a sensitive and important time in international geopolitics, so major Canadian TV and newspapers and other media have extensively reported on this event. Canada’s CTV news station also interviewed Taiwan’s representative in Canada, Zeng Houren. Both the anchor and the TV screen directly referred to Zeng Houren as the “Taiwan ambassador”, which excited the Taiwanese overseas Chinese community in Canada.

Hong Shufen, president of the Taiwan Association of Canada, said that in the past 20 years since immigrating to Canada, the mainstream society in Canada has never seen such high-profile attention to Taiwan. Since the two countries have no diplomatic relations, Canada always calls the Taiwan ambassador a "representative", but it is different now , many Canadians have recognized the status of Taiwan. "This shows a great breakthrough in the relationship between Taiwan and Canada. It means that Canada (mainstream society) also recognizes that Taiwan is an independent country that is not affiliated with China."

Canada’s Globe and Mail (Globe and Mail) interviewed Lev Nachman, an assistant professor at Taiwan’s National Chengchi University’s School of Social Sciences and the School of Innovation International. He said that when French President Macron said that “Europe should avoid getting involved in a war in the Taiwan Strait,” Canada The statement made by the representative delegation in Taipei is particularly meaningful.

The Washington Post publishes information about the person who leaked the classified Pentagon documents

The Washington Post reported that the person behind the massive leak of classified US military documents worked at a military base and posted sensitive national security secrets in an online group.

The newspaper said in a report, yesterday, Wednesday, that the leak was based on the participation of a member of the chat group on the Discord platform, in which the documents appeared, as the leaker was known as “OG” on the platform.

And she added: "One of the participants, known as "OG", in a gathering of about twenty people on the popular Discord platform among players in 2020, published a message containing abbreviations and strange terms last year."

The newspaper spoke to a member of the group, who carefully read the "OG" letter, as well as hundreds of other messages published over several months.

The spokesman claimed that they were "rough translations of secret intelligence documents," noting that "OG" brought these materials to his home from his work on a "military base."

He said: "The OG claimed that he spent at least part of his day inside a secure facility outlawing cell phones and other electronic devices, which could be used to document confidential information held on government computer networks or spool from printers."

The Pentagon is investigating a leak on the social network of materials describing the state of Ukrainian forces and the plans of the United States and NATO to strengthen them, noting that the documents, dated in early March, were published on "pro-Russian channels" on the "Telegram" application.

“North Korea produces electric rice cookers at the Kaesong Industrial Complex and distributes them to Pyongyang”

Anchor: It is known that North Korea uses facilities in the Kaesong Industrial Complex without permission to produce electric rice cookers. The rice cookers produced are sold in department stores and stores in Pyongyang. Inside North Korea, reporter Son Hye-min reports.

The Kaesong Industrial Complex, which was created as one of the inter-Korean economic cooperation projects and has been operating since the first shipment of products in 2004, was suspended in 2016 due to North Korea's nuclear test and missile provocation. South Korean companies left their production facilities in the Kaesong Industrial Complex and withdrew, but North Korea is violating the 'Kaesong Industrial District Act' by operating them without permission.

A source in Pyongyang who requested anonymity said on the 11th, “  It has been several  years since  ( North Korea )  produced rice cookers ( electric rice cookers ) at the Kaesong Industrial Complex. ” It was reported to Radio Free Asia . 

The source said  , “The electric rice kiln is produced using facilities and raw materials that  ( Korea ) Cuckoo Electronics Company left in the Kaesong Industrial Complex.” said . 

The source also  added, “The electric rice kiln made in the Kaesong Industrial Complex  is labeled as a ‘non-negative pressure rice kiln’ , and  is loaded onto a truck and distributed to department stores and stores in Pyongyang, where it is sold  ( with a price )  in foreign currency.” .

Currently, the selling price of 'non-negative pressure rice kiln'  at Pyongyang Department Store  is  50 dollars (  410,000 won in North Korean currency ) for 6  people  and 80 dollars (  656,000 won in North Korean money ) for 10 people . In Pyongyang, there are Daesung Department Store, which specializes in selling luxury goods imported from abroad in foreign currency, and Pyongyang First Department Store and Gwangbok Department Store, which sell daily necessities produced in North Korea or imported from overseas in foreign or domestic currency  .   

On the same day, another source in North Pyongan Province  reported, “For about  three years after the Kaesong Industrial Complex was shut down, production facilities and raw materials left by South Korean companies were kept at the site . ”

However, as the sanctions against North Korea increased, the resumption of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, which was a window for foreign currency earning, seemed hopeless  . It is a message .

In  August 2018 ,  RFA  Free Asia Broadcasting reported on the news that a North Korean military trading company smuggled thousands of finished electric rice cookers left by South Korean companies in the Kaesong Industrial Complex to Dandong, China, along with documents . ( Link to article :  https://www.rfa.org/korean/in_focus/food_international_org/20180808_3-08082018082439.html )

The source said,  “As the border was blocked due to the corona crisis and economic difficulties began, the central government allowed the use of production facilities, buses ,  and raw materials remaining in the Kaesong Industrial Complex . ”

It is explained that the North Korean authorities officially allow the use of Kaesong Complex facilities and raw materials as well as buses, and the large buses used for commuting by Kaesong Industrial Complex workers are now used as commuting buses by factory workers in Pyongyang. 

The source said  , “Especially, electric rice cookers are in high demand as they are used by every household in Pyongyang.” “  So, the authorities are using rice cooker production facilities and raw materials left by South Korean companies in the Kaesong Industrial Complex to produce electric rice cookers,” the source said. ,  We are distributing and selling them through the Pyongyang commercial network . ”

North Korea's unauthorized use of facilities in the Kaesong Industrial Complex is a direct violation of the agreement between the two Koreas as well as the protection of investors' rights and interests, which is the core of the 'Kaesong Industrial District Act' .

Earlier, on the 11th, South Korean Unification Minister Kwon Young-se said that North Korea, despite repeated warnings from the South Korean government, is infringing on the property rights of South Korean companies in the Kaesong Industrial Complex without permission, according to the "Agreement on Investment Guarantees between the South and the North.  " and North Korea's  'Gaesong Industrial District Law', and released a statement revealing that all responsibility lies entirely with North Korea .

It is pointed out that the Kaesong Industrial Complex, which was closed by the South Korean government's decision in 2016, can only be restarted after sanctions are lifted first in accordance with significantly strengthened UN sanctions against North Korea and independent US sanctions. Since the UN Security Council Resolution (2270) adopted in March 2016 in response to North Korea’s fourth nuclear test, five sanctions against North Korea and the United States’ independent sanctions against North Korea strictly restrict the import and export of goods between the South and the North, except for humanitarian aid items such as food. because it is limiting.