Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Su Tseng-chang (
Su told lawmakers that the DPP cannot afford to be divided with the National Assembly elections looming.
Since Chen said that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan's (連戰) words and deeds in China "did not violate the law" and that he held a positive attitude about Lien and People First Party (PFP) James Soong's (宋楚瑜) visits to China, DPP legislators are saying they have received many complaints from their constituents and that they did not know what course to take under Chen's leadership.
Chen commissioned Su to convene the forum with lawmakers to seek clarity.
Members of the factions in the DPP -- the New Tide, Welfare State and the Justice Alliance -- voiced their dissatisfaction to Su.
"The DPP is not a party that follows the pattern of one person alone having the final say. We always welcome all kinds of opinions. However, at this critical juncture, we can not afford disunion," Su said.
He added that it was urgent to improve the DPP's chances in the National Assembly elections in light of the party's declining support.
"I'm quite worried about the rapid change in the recent political situation," Su said.
"The recent `China fever' and Lien's and Soong's visits to China have caused confusion on social values, and the DPP also suffered a slump in support. It is the DPP's crisis. I believe each of you understand this. I hope you all could hang on and help boost the DPP's election momentum," Su said.
In response to questions about why Chen approved of the meeting between Lien and Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), Su said that he had no idea about Chen's motivation, but speculated that Chen did not have many strategies for dealing with Hu either.
DPP caucus whip Jao Yung-ching (趙永清) said the caucus has resolved that it will invite Chen to attend a forum with it soon, and demanded that communication mechanisms between the Presidential Office, legislative caucus and party headquarters be improved.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could