The Taiwan Brain Trust (TBT) think tank yesterday urged the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to be “localized,” and China to be practical in handling cross-strait relations.
The KMT’s heavy defeat showed voters do not trust the party’s China-leaning policies, therefore the KMT should adjust its stance and become more “localized,” Soochow University political science professor Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) told a news conference at the think tank’s headquarters in Taipei.
“When the Chou Tzu-yu (周子瑜) incident happened, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) immediately expressed his support [for Chou], but it still became a political tsunami, and while all three presidential candidates had similar reactions, the KMT was still hurt the most by it,” said Hsu, who is also a New Power Party legislator-at-large-elect.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Chou, a 16-year-old Taiwanese singer in South Korea, was labelled by China-based Taiwanese singer Huang An (黃安) as a supporter of Taiwan independence after she held a Republic of China (ROC) flag on a TV show in South Korea. A video clip released late on Friday that showed Chou apologizing drew angry responses in Taiwan. Many reacted by casting their votes for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Saturday to show their discontent over China’s sovereignty claim over Taiwan.
Meanwhile, think tank deputy executive director Lin Ting-hui (林廷輝) called on Beijing to take a more practical approach in its handling of cross-strait relations.
“Taiwanese want a transparent, open and healthy cross-strait relationship,” Lin said. “Ma might have done much, but the problems are transparency and justice.”
Lin said that in the past 10 years, the KMT has had an almost monopoly over cross-strait exchanges, adding that such exchanges have not been effective, but have contributed to a rising Taiwan identity and a sense of crisis among the public.
“Beijing has always said that it ‘puts hopes in the people of Taiwan,’ and it is time for it to rethink what that means,” Lin said. “Tsai has held out the olive branch in her acceptance speech that she would strive to maintain the ‘status quo’ while trying to communicate with Beijing, and now it is Beijing’s turn to think how it would respond to the call.”
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old