Controversy sparked by Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan’s (成龍) remarks last month have cast a shadow over what is scheduled to be the biggest sporting event ever hosted by Taipei City — the Summer Deaflympics, scheduled to run from Sept. 5 to Sept. 15.
Speaking at a panel discussion during the annual Boao Forum in China, Chan, who formerly served as an ambassador for the event, said Taiwan’s freedom made it “chaotic.”
Taipei city councilors from across party lines criticized the city government’s reliance on celebrities to generate publicity for the event, saying the government had failed to spend its budget wisely.
The budget plan approved by the Taipei City Council allocated around NT$7 billion (US$210 million) for the event, with more than NT$1.1 billion set aside for advertising and marketing.
The city invited more than 10 celebrities, including Chan, singer A-Mei (張惠妹), actress Brigitte Lin (林青霞) and former NBA star Scottie Pippen to promote the Deaflympics as spokespeople, paying more than NT$80 million for their endorsements.
Chan came to Taiwan last September for the Deaflympics countdown ceremony and to shoot a TV ad for the event. He did not charge an endorsement fee, but the city government spent more than NT$100,000 for transportation and hotel fees.
“We had voiced concerns about inviting Chinese stars like Jackie Chan to serve as spokespeople, but the city government ignored our warning. What he brings to the event is nothing but negative publicity,” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilor Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) said.
Taipei City Councilor Chien Yu-yen (簡余晏), also of the DPP, joined Hsu in challenging the city government’s choice of a Chinese star, urging it to return the money it spent on Chan.
Emile Sheng (盛治仁), chairman of the Taipei Deaflympics Organizing Committee said the committee had invited Chan because he had suffered hearing damage from an accident when shooting a film and therefore might understand the feelings of the hearing impaired, Sheng said.
Sheng dismissed the councilors?criticism about the big budget, and said the budget for the committee was only about NT$1.1 billion, with about 10% allocated to advertising and marketing. So far the city government paid less than NT$5 million for event ambassadors and
spokespeople.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Chen Yu-mei (陳玉梅) said inviting celebrities to promote the event via commercials or promotional activities was not enough. She urged the city government to learn from the Kaohsiung City Government and not limit its marketing efforts to domestic promotional events and ads.
“The Kaohsiung City Government visited China, Hong Kong and Japan to promote the World Games. The Taipei City Government is treating the Deaflympics like a domestic event. I’m worried about the city government’s ability to host international sporting events,” she said.
To promote the World Games, which will be held in Kaohsiung City in July, the Kaohsiung City Government invited Yankee pitcher Wang Chien-ming (王建民) to endorse the event. It also held promotional activities in China, Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong to introduce the Games to the international community, Chen said.
Noting that the Deaflympics was part of the Olympic Games family along with the Paralympic Games and Special Olympics, Chen said the Taipei City Government should expand its vision and put greater effort into increasing the international visibility of the event.
Chen and Chien also shared concerns about facilities for the event. Most of the competitions will be held in Taipei City, but some will be held at venues in Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu counties.
“The city government spent several billion NT dollars on the facilities, but we cannot find a swimming pool that fits international criteria in the city and have to go all the way to Hsinchu County to hold the swimming contest there,” Chien said.
Sheng defended the city government? efforts to utilize venues for the events, and said National Taiwan University Stadium and the Taipei Arena are both qualified to host volleyball competition.
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
‘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
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) yesterday appealed to the authorities to release former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) from pretrial detention amid conflicting reports about his health. The TPP at a news conference on Thursday said that Ko should be released to a hospital for treatment, adding that he has blood in his urine and had spells of pain and nausea followed by vomiting over the past three months. Hsieh Yen-yau (謝炎堯), a retired professor of internal medicine and Ko’s former teacher, said that Ko’s symptoms aligned with gallstones, kidney inflammation and potentially dangerous heart conditions. Ko, charged with
RSS