A deal appears to have been reached between the state-controlled Taiwanese satellite carrier Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) and the independent Chinese television network New Tang Dynasty Asia Pacific (NTD AP), ending a two-month impasse that mobilized activists and politicians in Taiwan, the United States, and Europe, and led to claims that Taiwan was departing from its principles of freedom of speech.
“We’ve agreed that they can use the ST-2,” said Chen Huei-yen, assistant manager at Chunghwa’s international branch, according to Taipei Times on June 19.
In agreeing to allow NTD AP the use of the ST-2 satellite, Chunghwa is reversing a previous decision not to lease space on the satellite to NTD AP, which critics say was probably made under pressure from the Chinese regime.
The government of Taiwan has a controlling interest in CHT, which owns the ST-2. CHT had offered to lease space on another company's satellite and then sublease that space to NTD AP. NTD AP rejected the offer on the grounds that operations on a satellite not controlled by the government of Taiwan could be too easily interfered with by the Chinese regime.
Critics have said CHT's initial stance reflected financial interests it now has on the mainland.
Among other investments involving mainland Chinese companies, CHT has recently announced at least $45 million of investment in a new 14,000-mile-long submarine cable with China Mobile, Google Bermuda, Japan’s KDDI Corp., and other companies.
The Chinese Communist Party has made no secret of its desire to shut down NTD AP, which reports frequently and boldly on the regime’s human rights transgressions and by means of the CHT satellite service reaches millions of viewers in China.
The ST-2 satellite is scheduled to become operational in August.
Samuel Zhou, NTD spokesperson, was hopeful but slightly guarded about the CHT announcement.
“We don’t have any comment now because it’s not confirmed,” he said. “We hope everything goes well.”
He said the deal will be finalized and official in the coming days, when the parties will make more formal statements.
