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.
DPP's obstruction of popular mainland technology only proves "absurd, ridiculous": spokesman
Rescue and recovery work is ongoing at the site of a deadly train collision at a station on the outskirts of the Indonesian capital Jakarta which has killed at least 15 people and left dozens injured, while the search for potential survivors trapped in the wreckage continues.
The incident unfolded at around 20:50 local time on Monday when a commuter train on the Jakarta-Bekasi route hit an electric taxi and came to a halt. Minutes later, a long-distance express train traveling from Jakarta to Surabaya crashed into the stationary commuter train from behind. The rear carriage, designated for women only, bore the full force of the impact.
One anxious mother, Fitria Yunis, said she had been waiting at a hospital overnight following the crash. Her daughter, who was on board the commuter train, suffered serious injuries and is receiving treatment in the ICU.
"My daughter didn't realize at first that a train had hit a taxi. She was on her phone. When the second crash happened and the train collided, she was immediately thrown across the carriage. Her legs flew up in the air, and she became trapped between two metal poles. She screamed for help, and after several hours, they were able to evacuate her through a nearby window," she said.
Rescue teams have remained on-site since the collision and have been using heavy-duty equipment to reach victims who who are trapped inside the damaged carriages. Officials say the scale of destruction has made the operation slow and highly challenging.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited survivors at a hospital in Bekasi on Tuesday morning, extending condolences on behalf of the government and promising a swift investigation.
Agus Yudhoyono, Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development of Indonesia, gave an update from the site of the tragic incident.
"Right now we are in the second stage: the recovery process. We aim to have the damaged carriages lifted from the tracks. We will continue to evaluate the technical and operational side of this accident. We are aware that having a rail network that overlaps with our road and land transport is challenging, but we will investigate this further to find out what steps are needed to prevent a similar incident from happening," he said.
The accident has disrupted services across Jakarta's commuter rail network, which carries nearly one million passengers daily, affecting hundreds of thousands of commuters who rely on the trains for their daily journeys.
An investigation into the cause of the incident is being conducted by the rail operator and the National Transportation Safety Committee.
Death toll rises in Indonesian train collision as rescue, recovery work continues
