U.S. dollar ticks up

The U.S. dollar increased in late trading on Tuesday.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, went up 0.15 percent to 98.639 at 15:00 (1900 GMT).

In late New York trading, the euro lost to 1.1714 dollars from 1.1720 dollars in the previous session, and the British pound dropped to 1.3518 dollars from 1.3534 dollars in the previous session.

The U.S. dollar bought 159.55 Japanese yen, higher than 159.45 Japanese yen of the previous session. The U.S. dollar added to 0.7893 Swiss francs from 0.7856 Swiss francs, and it rose to 1.3679 Canadian dollars from 1.3627 Canadian dollars. The U.S. dollar advanced to 9.2716 Swedish kronor from 9.2247 Swedish kronor.

Chen Binhua, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, on Wednesday condemned the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for considering a ban on the use of mainland technology and products simply because they are effective and popular, calling this stance "absurd and ridiculous."

Chen's remarks came in response to comments from DPP members suggesting that the Chinese mainland's popular navigation app Amap might be prohibited and that the public should be advised against using it if so-called security concerns arise.

"The mainland has world-leading digital mapping, navigation, and location service technologies. Many of these applications have been widely used on the mainland and in some other countries and regions for years, meeting people's practical needs, making travel more time-efficient and convenient, and enriching their daily life. This is a concrete example of how technological development benefits humanity. In addition to Amap, the mainland also boasts many advanced technologies and high-quality innovative products. People on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are of one family and we are willing to let our Taiwan compatriots be the first to share in these benefits," Chen said at a press conference in Beijing.

"However, the DPP authorities, in their pursuit of Taiwan secession, have become so opposed to the mainland that their stance has turned anti-intellectual and anti-technology. Nearly 10 years into the DPP governance, Taiwan has witnessed a troubling phenomenon of ideological constraint and speech repression, epitomized by an inability to say no to the U.S. or to acknowledge the strengths of the mainland. Simply because mainland technologies and products are effective and popular among the people of Taiwan, the DPP authorities seek to prohibit or hinder their choice of the products. This reflects a jittery with imaginary fear, which is absurd and ridiculous. Such moves find little support and will not succeed," Chen said.