Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator John Chiang (
Chang Ya-juo (
John Chiang told TV stations TVBS and Broadcasting Corp of China that he is certain his mother was slain by one of his father's aides, but that his father had not ordered the murder.
"I'm sure [Chiang Ching-kuo] was not aware of the plot," he said. "But I'm sure my mother was murdered, and that the murderer was my father's close aide."
"My father had no advance knowledge of the murder, and it was not directed by him. I know that my father did not order the murder. I forgive him and feel no hatred toward him," the lawmaker, and Taipei mayoral hopeful, was quoted as saying.
He said the details of his claim about the murder will be revealed in his memoirs, which are to be published after the Lunar New Year holidays.
He would not say how he knew the identity of the murderer -- who he said is still alive -- but said that everyone could find out when his book is published.
"Of course I forgive him [the murderer]. I just said that forgiveness is necessary. My mother is dead, and we have moved on," he said.
"I'm no longer harboring resentment in my mind after so many years," he said.
John Chiang said both he and his brother had been in danger for being Chiang Ching-kuo's illegitimate sons.
"It wan't until recently that I realized how dangerous it was. The murderer had attempted to kill me and Hsiao-tzu (章孝慈)," he said.
The twins fled to Taiwan in 1949 with their maternal uncle and aunt, who raised them. The twins used their mother's family name, not Chiang. Winston died of a brain tumor in 1996.
Last year the lawmaker legally changed his surname to Chiang, after the death of Chiang Ching-kuo's wife Faina Chiang Fang-liang (
CLASH OF WORDS: While China’s foreign minister insisted the US play a constructive role with China, Rubio stressed Washington’s commitment to its allies in the region The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday affirmed and welcomed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio statements expressing the US’ “serious concern over China’s coercive actions against Taiwan” and aggressive behavior in the South China Sea, in a telephone call with his Chinese counterpart. The ministry in a news release yesterday also said that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had stated many fallacies about Taiwan in the call. “We solemnly emphasize again that our country and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and it has been an objective fact for a long time, as well as
‘CHARM OFFENSIVE’: Beijing has been sending senior Chinese officials to Okinawa as part of efforts to influence public opinion against the US, the ‘Telegraph’ reported Beijing is believed to be sowing divisions in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture to better facilitate an invasion of Taiwan, British newspaper the Telegraph reported on Saturday. Less than 750km from Taiwan, Okinawa hosts nearly 30,000 US troops who would likely “play a pivotal role should Beijing order the invasion of Taiwan,” it wrote. To prevent US intervention in an invasion, China is carrying out a “silent invasion” of Okinawa by stoking the flames of discontent among locals toward the US presence in the prefecture, it said. Beijing is also allegedly funding separatists in the region, including Chosuke Yara, the head of the Ryukyu Independence
‘VERY SHALLOW’: The center of Saturday’s quake in Tainan’s Dongshan District hit at a depth of 7.7km, while yesterday’s in Nansai was at a depth of 8.1km, the CWA said Two magnitude 5.7 earthquakes that struck on Saturday night and yesterday morning were aftershocks triggered by a magnitude 6.4 quake on Tuesday last week, a seismologist said, adding that the epicenters of the aftershocks are moving westward. Saturday and yesterday’s earthquakes occurred as people were preparing for the Lunar New Year holiday this week. As of 10am yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) recorded 110 aftershocks from last week’s main earthquake, including six magnitude 5 to 6 quakes and 32 magnitude 4 to 5 tremors. Seventy-one of the earthquakes were smaller than magnitude 4. Thirty-one of the aftershocks were felt nationwide, while 79
MARITIME SECURITY: Of the 52 vessels, 15 were rated a ‘threat’ for various reasons, including the amount of time they spent loitering near subsea cables, the CGA said Taiwan has identified 52 “suspicious” Chinese-owned ships flying flags of convenience that require close monitoring if detected near the nation, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said yesterday, as the nation seeks to protect its subsea telecoms cables. The stricter regime comes after a Cameroon-flagged vessel was briefly detained by the CGA earlier this month on suspicion of damaging an international cable northeast of Taiwan. The vessel is owned by a Hong Kong-registered company with a Chinese address given for its only listed director, the CGA said previously. Taiwan fears China could sever its communication links as part of an attempt
RSS