President-elect Ma Ying-jeou's (
The incoming first lady, who is a legal department director at the government-controlled bank, defended her right to work, saying that her work -- providing legal advice to the bank -- did not involve bank management.
"My work does not include banking management, the company's operations or decision-making," Chow said in a written statement.
"I don't need to face customers and it's impossible for me be involved in transfer of benefits," she said.
resignation
To prevent conflict of interest, however, Chow said she had resigned as board member of the bank and of the Dwen An Social Welfare Foundation, a charity group established by Ma.
Chow made the announcement yesterday amid debate over whether she should continue working after her husband's inauguration on May 20.
When asked to comment on the issue, Ma said at his post-election press conference on Saturday that he would respect Chow's decision.
Chow has shunned the spotlight and insisted on going about her normal life ever since Ma entered politics.
She seldom accompanies Ma to public events and only campaigned for him during the final days of election campaigns.
On Monday, Chow went to work as normal, by bus.
"Please don't call me the president's wife. I am department head Chow," she told reporters who followed her to work.
Although Chow insists on keeping her job, she said she would not take public transportation again and apologized to other passengers as reporters and photographers packed the bus she took on Monday and again yesterday.
If her work adversely affects the bank's reputation or its operations, or if her workload poses a negative impact on her duties as the first lady, Chow said she would consider leaving the bank in the future.
first lady's office?
Meanwhile, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiang Lien-fu (江連福) said yesterday he would propose amending the Office of the President Organization Act (總統府組織法) to establish an office of the first lady, modeled after the role of the first lady in the US.
Chiang issued a press release yesterday afternoon saying he would propose setting up an office and hiring staffers to help future first ladies deal with public welfare and social issues.
Chiang said that since the 1960s, US first ladies have had their own office in the East Wing of the White House, adding that they can hold press conferences or arrange interviews with the media through the office.
However, Taiwanese law does not have similar regulations concerning the responsibilities of the first lady, Chiang said, adding that he had started seeking endorsement for his proposal.
Chiang represents Taichung County's third district. He was reelected on Jan. 12, but was indicted on Jan. 29 on charges of vote-buying. His case is pending in the Taichung District Court.
Additional reporting by Flora Wang
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as