DPP Legislator Trong Chai (
Chai announced his resignation yesterday afternoon in a press conference after attending a meeting with the board of directors. Chai, the founder of the TV station, will be succeeded by the company's vice chairman, Tien Tsai-ting (
"To comply with the DPP's long-standing policy of freeing the media of political influence, I've actually been prepared to withdraw from Formosa TV for a long time and have talked this matter over with the president," Chai said.
"I am more interested in politics and my involvement in the TV industry is just a sideline to my political career. Therefore, it is impossible for me to quit my main job as a legislator," he said.
"I sincerely hope that Chen will be re-elected next year. My resignation will play an important part of [realizing] Chen's promise to the public," Chai said.
Chai founded Formosa TV in 1996, a station known for its pro-DPP stance.
While promising to quit his media post, Chai urged the KMT yesterday to withdraw from the operations of the China Television Company (
The KMT is the dominant shareholder in both companies.
DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (
Chang said the resignation is a responsible action and shows Chai's commitment to the DPP, adding Chai is a member of DPP's Central Standing Committee.
Tien, the new chairman, said yesterday, "Though Chai has resigned, we still see a very slow withdrawal of political and military forces from the media. We hope that Chai's resignation will serve as a model for other parties and politicians who are still involved in the media.
"We appreciate Chai's contributions and efforts for Formosa TV, where he built a unique broadcasting culture," Tien said.
Prior to Chai's announcement, local media reported that the Presidential Office had tried to interfere with the appointment of the new chairman, as it was allegedly not satisfied with Tien taking over.
The report said Chai was supposed to meet with Chen yesterday morning and inform the president of his decision. However, the meeting was canceled as Chen didn't want to accept Chai's favor, the report said.
"It was just a miscommunication between the Presidential Office and me about the time of the meeting," Chai said.
Presidential Office spokesman James Huang (
"We disagreed with the contents of the report, which is biased and misleading," Huang said.
Huang said the president's goal is to remove political influence from the media and, therefore, would not interfere himself.
In a Central Standing Committee meeting on June 11, the DPP delivered its ultimatum that all party members must relinquish control in media industries before Sept. 5.
INSURRECTION: The NSB said it found evidence the CCP was seeking snipers in Taiwan to target members of the military and foreign organizations in the event of an invasion The number of Chinese spies prosecuted in Taiwan has grown threefold over a four-year period, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report released yesterday. In 2021 and 2022, 16 and 10 spies were prosecuted respectively, but that number grew to 64 last year, it said, adding that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was working with gangs in Taiwan to develop a network of armed spies. Spies in Taiwan have on behalf of the CCP used a variety of channels and methods to infiltrate all sectors of the country, and recruited Taiwanese to cooperate in developing organizations and obtaining sensitive information
Seven hundred and sixty-four foreigners were arrested last year for acting as money mules for criminals, with many entering Taiwan on a tourist visa for all-expenses-paid trips, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said on Saturday. Although from Jan. 1 to Dec. 26 last year, 26,478 people were arrested for working as money mules, the bureau said it was particularly concerned about those entering the country as tourists or migrant workers who help criminals and scammers pick up or transfer illegally obtained money. In a report, officials divided the money mules into two groups, the first of which are foreigners, mainly from Malaysia
SILICON VALLEY HUB: The office would showcase Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors and artificial intelligence, and help Taiwanese start-ups connect with global opportunities Taiwan has established an office in Palo Alto, one of the principal cities of Silicon Valley in California, aimed at helping Taiwanese technology start-ups gain global visibility, the National Development Council said yesterday. The “Startup Island Taiwan Silicon Valley hub” at No. 299 California Avenue is focused on “supporting start-ups and innovators by providing professional consulting, co-working spaces, and community platforms,” the council said in a post on its Web site. The office is the second overseas start-up hub established by the council, after a similar site was set up in Tokyo in September last year. Representatives from Taiwanese start-ups, local businesses and
‘DETERRENT’: US national security adviser-designate Mike Waltz said that he wants to speed up deliveries of weapons purchased by Taiwan to deter threats from China US president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, affirmed his commitment to peace in the Taiwan Strait during his confirmation hearing in Washington on Tuesday. Hegseth called China “the most comprehensive and serious challenge to US national security” and said that he would aim to limit Beijing’s expansion in the Indo-Pacific region, Voice of America reported. He would also adhere to long-standing policies to prevent miscalculations, Hegseth added. The US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing was the first for a nominee of Trump’s incoming Cabinet, and questions mostly focused on whether he was fit for the
RSS