President Tsai-Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday confirmed that she would run for re-election next year to complete her vision for the nation.
“It’s natural that any sitting president wants to do more for the country and wants to finish things on his or her agenda,” Tsai said in an interview with CNN’s Matt Rivers aboard the presidential plane, when asked about her plans for next year’s presidential election.
Asked if that means she would seek re-election, Tsai nodded and said: “Yes, yes.”
Photo: Huang Shu-li, Taipei Times
The interview took place on Monday, the Presidential Office said.
Tsai said she was confident about her prospects, adding that it is “something I have prepared for.”
However, she is also aware of the challenges ahead.
“It’s again another challenge. Being president, you’re not short of challenges. At good times you have challenges of one sort, and in bad times you have challenges of another sort,” said Tsai, whose approval rating remains below 40 percent.
In November last year, Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) suffered heavy losses in elections for local government leaders, which many saw as a referendum on her leadership and her administration’s performance.
Tsai stepped down as party chairperson to take responsibility for the losses. Senior pro-Taiwan independence advocates have urged her not to run for re-election amid concerns that this could pave the way for the China-leaning Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to retake power.
The Presidential Office yesterday said that Tsai’s primary purpose for accepting the interview with CNN was to give Taiwan a voice through an international media outlet.
During the interview, she discussed the current international situation, spoke about why she believes Taiwan will play an increasingly crucial role in global affairs and elaborated on cross-strait relations, the office said.
Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said Tsai became an “endorser” for Taiwan during the interview, taking CNN’s correspondent to Taipei’s Ximending (西門町) area to taste traditional Taiwanese dishes, such as pork chops with rice and chicken thighs.
Through the interview, Tsai hoped to show the world the different aspects — both traditional and modern — of Taiwan, he added.
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