The Presidential Office yesterday accused a Chinese-language newspaper of falsely reporting that the president had tried to blackmail Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
"We are asking the China Times to run an apology and a correction in [today's] edition, of the same size and on the same page as [the article which ran yesterday]," said Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Chou Jung-tai (卓榮泰). "If they fail to do so, we will adopt the highest legal standards, because we can only rely on the judicial system to find out the truth behind this matter."
Chou was referring to an article in yesterday's China Times, which claimed that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) had tried to "intimidate" Wang in the run-up to the 2004 presidential election.
The report, whose headline read "Bian-style `coercion'; Wang Jin-pyng fuming, punches table," quoted anonymous sources as saying that Chen had shown "legal documents" to Wang, apparently outlining evidence of wrongdoing, and then asked him not to serve as the campaign manager for former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (
Describing the report as "out of focus" and "ridiculous," Chou said that the decision to demand an apology and to possibly take legal action against the paper was a difficult one.
"Please don't mistake us as targeting one single newspaper," he said. "We would like to work with the media to safeguard their credibility and hope that they will stop fabricating stories."
Chou yesterday criticized the paper, saying it had failed to double-check the facts and was making false accusations.
"As Speaker Wang is a respectable political figure, the president fully understands and respects Speaker Wang's political status, responsibilities and obligations," Chou said. "It is impossible that the president made any disrespectful remark or behaved discourteously."
Chou said he had no idea why the matter was reported in such a sensational manner.
"I guess only the reporter who wrote the story knows what her true intention was," he said.
"As for ordinary people like me," the senior presidential aide said, "I don't think it's helpful for social stability and political harmony."
When asked by the Taipei Times whether Chen had met Wang as described and exactly what the two had talked about, Chou said that the two men had met on numerous occasions over the years, and that it was impossible for him to give a clear account of each of their conversations.
Wang yesterday did not deny the China Times report.
"The report mentioned some facts, as everyone knows. But some part [of the report] was a bit exaggerated," Wang said when confronted by reporters at CKS International Airport for comment on the report.
Wang left for Japan yesterday.
The China Times last night issued a statement saying that its report was accurate and that it would run a follow-up story today. The statement added that what Wang said yesterday at CKS airport "proved the report is true."
Commentators have speculated that Wang might form a political alliance with the pan-green camp because of his alleged involvement in some scandals.
Wang yesterday said he has been been consistent in his contributions to the country and the public in the past, and that his loyalty to his party and his ideology have passed many trials.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu (
"Wang told us about this at one time, but he didn't use the term `threat,'" Hung said.
"Wang was very angry at the president about the matter, but he said he is not afraid [of the president]," Hung said.
Meanwhile, Chou also criticized the media for making "emotional" accusations against the Presidential Office and its officials recently, citing another report published by the China Times alleging that former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) had refused to meet Presidential Office Secretary-General Mark Chen (陳唐山).
Chou also cited recent reports claiming Chen had "intimidated" Lee when he had visited the former president on his sick bed, over alleged secret funds set up by the National Security Bureau during Lee's presidency.
Chou said the report was "totally remote from the facts."
Chou was referring to an article first published in the Chinese-language newspaper United Daily News, alleging that the president had made the threat in April. The China Times later ran a follow-up article that said the incident had actually happened three years ago.
Chou said Chen and Wang are on good terms, and that the administration's relationship with Lee was "normal and good."
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan
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