Deputy Secretary-General to the President Joseph Wu (
Wu, who said he has been a KMT member since he was young, said he would join the DPP next month, when the party is set to hold a ceremony to present the political appointees that it has recruited.
The party has been trying to increase its talent base by recruiting senior members of the government.
Several have already agreed to join, including Council for Cultural Affairs Vice Chairman Wu Mi-cha (吳密察), Council of Labor Affairs Vice Chairman Kuo Chi-jen (郭吉仁), Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman Chen Ming-tong (陳明通), Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Ling-san (林陵三) and Public Construction Commission Chairwoman Kuo Yao-chi (郭瑤琪).
Wu was a guest at a dinner organized by Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Shih-meng (
Also on the guest list were Lin, Kuo, Wu Mi-cha, Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (
Asked whether she would join the party, Kuo said she was a political appointee designated by the ruling party, thus "joining the party is in line with the spirit of party politics."
When asked by reporters about the recruitment drive, President Chen Shui-bian (
However, Chen Shih-meng (
"Their decisions will not affect the performance of their duties," he said.
The foreign minster yesterday ruled out the DPP's invitation to join the party, saying that diplomatic affairs have unique characteristics.
"Keeping my political affiliation independent will benefit those affairs to a certain degree," Chien said.
Chien was a KMT member until January last year, when he let his membership lapse.
Vice Premier Lin Hsin-yi (林信義) and Lin Chuan (林全), head of the Directorate General of Budget Accounting and Statistics, have also decided not to join the DPP.
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) is to begin his one-year alternative military service tomorrow amid ongoing legal issues, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. Wang, who last month was released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,561) as he faces charges of allegedly attempting to evade military service and forging documents, has been ordered to report to Taipei Railway Station at 9am tomorrow, the Alternative Military Service Training and Management Center said. The 33-year-old would join about 1,300 other conscripts in the 263rd cohort of general alternative service for training at the Chenggong Ling camp in Taichung, a center official told reporters. Wang would first