Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫) is hoping that the notorious mob boss in this year's blockbuster movie Monga (艋舺) will help entice more than a few voters his way come election day on Nov. 27.
Veteran actor Ma Ju-long (馬如龍), who has captured the audience's interest with his recent portrayal of the character Geta in the film Monga, yesterday endorsed the KMT candidate, telling supporters that “it would be Taiwan's loss” if Chu did not win the elections for Sinbei City mayor.
The two men spoke to local residents and party stalwarts at the office of KMT Taipei County Councilor Huang Kui-lan (黃桂蘭) in Taipei County's Lujhou (蘆洲).
PHOTO: WANG YI-SUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Ma said he believed Chu was best suited to govern the nation's most populous municipality.
He also mentioned Chu's impressive record during his eight years as county commissioner of Taoyuan County, where he used to live.
“I still have friends there and many of them tell me just how well Chu did in the area. That's the main reason why I’m here today,” Ma said.
Recent polls suggest that Chu is neck-and-neck with his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) opponent, Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
DPP Chairperson Tsai yesterday held a press conference to announce that her campaign had received more than NT$10 million (US$315,000) in donations, calling it a testament to her grassroots support.
Standing alongside a dozen teenagers and young adults at her campaign headquarters in Banciao City, Tsai said she recognized that the donations represented the hopes and aspirations of hundreds of Taipei County residents.
Thanking supporters, she said: “[Grassroots] donations are the next step in political culture. I hope even more people take part in this election.”
The donations will undoubtedly come as a big boost for Tsai after a string of recent announcements from the cash-strapped DPP that it would not offer individual candidates financial support in the year-end elections.
Tsai's campaign office has said it will focus on maximizing the use of the limited resources at its disposal and not spend money on printing election banners, flyers or posters. Tsai’s office also promised not to use loudspeakers on campaign vehicles.
Taiwan yesterday condemned the recent increase in Chinese coast guard-escorted fishing vessels operating illegally in waters around the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. Unusually large groupings of Chinese fishing vessels began to appear around the islands on Feb. 15, when at least six motherships and 29 smaller boats were sighted, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said in a news release. While CGA vessels were dispatched to expel the Chinese boats, Chinese coast guard ships trespassed into Taiwan’s restricted waters and unsuccessfully attempted to interfere, the CGA said. Due to the provocation, the CGA initiated an operation to increase
CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Many of the part-time programs for educators were no longer needed, as many teachers obtain a graduate degree before joining the workforce, experts said Taiwanese universities this year canceled 86 programs, Ministry of Education data showed, with educators attributing the closures to the nation’s low birthrate as well as shifting trends. Fifty-three of the shuttered programs were part-time postgraduate degree programs, about 62 percent of the total, the most in the past five years, the data showed. National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) discontinued the most part-time master’s programs, at 16: chemistry, life science, earth science, physics, fine arts, music, special education, health promotion and health education, educational psychology and counseling, education, design, Chinese as a second language, library and information sciences, mechatronics engineering, history, physical education
The Chinese military has boosted its capability to fight at a high tempo using the element of surprise and new technology, the Ministry of National Defense said in the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) published on Monday last week. The ministry highlighted Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) developments showing significant changes in Beijing’s strategy for war on Taiwan. The PLA has made significant headway in building capabilities for all-weather, multi-domain intelligence, surveillance, operational control and a joint air-sea blockade against Taiwan’s lines of communication, it said. The PLA has also improved its capabilities in direct amphibious assault operations aimed at seizing strategically important beaches,
‘MALIGN PURPOSE’: Governments around the world conduct espionage operations, but China’s is different, as its ultimate goal is annexation, a think tank head said Taiwan is facing a growing existential threat from its own people spying for China, experts said, as the government seeks to toughen measures to stop Beijing’s infiltration efforts and deter Taiwanese turncoats. While Beijing and Taipei have been spying on each other for years, experts said that espionage posed a bigger threat to Taiwan due to the risk of a Chinese attack. Taiwan’s intelligence agency said China used “diverse channels and tactics” to infiltrate the nation’s military, government agencies and pro-China organizations. The main targets were retired and active members of the military, persuaded by money, blackmail or pro-China ideology to steal
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