John Chang (
His alleged affair with a former TV actress Wang Hsiao-chan (王筱蟬) is bound to dog Chang on the campaign trail, as Wang has long made clear her intention to seek a legislative seat as an independent from the same district.
Flanked by his wife Huang Mei-lun (黃美倫) and physically challenged celebrities, Chang showed up at the KMT's Taipei chapter to register his candidacy at 10am. Scores of supporters stood outside the venue chanting, "Chang, go, go, go."
"I will put in a good fight to win the opportunity to serve the country and the people," Chang said.
In December 1999, Chang stepped down as presidential secretary-general after admitting to an extramarital affair. Regretting the scandal as "the biggest mistake of my life," Chang has since shunned the limelight.
Chang said the respite provided him with an opportunity to get in touch with the grassroots and understand their needs.
Chang, the illegitimate son of the late president Chiang Ching-kuo (
As of yesterday evening, a total of 12 KMT members have applied to place their name on the primary ballot. The largest opposition party is expected to nominate three or four candidates to vie for legislative seats in the southern district of the capital city.
Chang said he believed his political credentials would distinguish him from rivals inside and outside the party. He was a career diplomat and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1996 and 1997 before becoming vice premier and later KMT secretary-general. If elected, Chang said he is will focus on promoting cross-strait ties as well as the welfare of the handicapped.
Wang, his alleged mistress, has opened her campaign headquarters in the same district where Chang is planning his political comeback.
In an interview with a local cable TV station, Wang said a wealthy businessman has promised to finance her venture.
She has flatly denied any romantic involvement with Chang and has pressed a libel suit against a Chinese language newspaper for naming her in the sex scandal.
‘CORRECT IDENTIFICATION’: Beginning in May, Taiwanese married to Japanese can register their home country as Taiwan in their spouse’s family record, ‘Nikkei Asia’ said The government yesterday thanked Japan for revising rules that would allow Taiwanese nationals married to Japanese citizens to list their home country as “Taiwan” in the official family record database. At present, Taiwanese have to select “China.” Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said the new rule, set to be implemented in May, would now “correctly” identify Taiwanese in Japan and help protect their rights, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The statement was released after Nikkei Asia reported the new policy earlier yesterday. The name and nationality of a non-Japanese person marrying a Japanese national is added to the
AT RISK: The council reiterated that people should seriously consider the necessity of visiting China, after Beijing passed 22 guidelines to punish ‘die-hard’ separatists The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has since Jan. 1 last year received 65 petitions regarding Taiwanese who were interrogated or detained in China, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. Fifty-two either went missing or had their personal freedoms restricted, with some put in criminal detention, while 13 were interrogated and temporarily detained, he said in a radio interview. On June 21 last year, China announced 22 guidelines to punish “die-hard Taiwanese independence separatists,” allowing Chinese courts to try people in absentia. The guidelines are uncivilized and inhumane, allowing Beijing to seize assets and issue the death penalty, with no regard for potential
‘UNITED FRONT’ FRONTS: Barring contact with Huaqiao and Jinan universities is needed to stop China targeting Taiwanese students, the education minister said Taiwan has blacklisted two Chinese universities from conducting academic exchange programs in the nation after reports that the institutes are arms of Beijing’s United Front Work Department, Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) said in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) published yesterday. China’s Huaqiao University in Xiamen and Quanzhou, as well as Jinan University in Guangzhou, which have 600 and 1,500 Taiwanese on their rolls respectively, are under direct control of the Chinese government’s political warfare branch, Cheng said, citing reports by national security officials. A comprehensive ban on Taiwanese institutions collaborating or
STILL COMMITTED: The US opposes any forced change to the ‘status quo’ in the Strait, but also does not seek conflict, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said US President Donald Trump’s administration released US$5.3 billion in previously frozen foreign aid, including US$870 million in security exemptions for programs in Taiwan, a list of exemptions reviewed by Reuters showed. Trump ordered a 90-day pause on foreign aid shortly after taking office on Jan. 20, halting funding for everything from programs that fight starvation and deadly diseases to providing shelters for millions of displaced people across the globe. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has said that all foreign assistance must align with Trump’s “America First” priorities, issued waivers late last month on military aid to Israel and Egypt, the
RSS