Several Japanese newspapers on Friday covered the run-up to Taiwan’s Jan. 14 presidential and legislative elections, with Sankei Shimbun reporting that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) was facing a tough fight in his re-election bid and that China was mulling ways to “cautiously intervene.”
The Sankei Shimbun said in an analysis filed from Beijing that China is actively searching for ways to try and influence the elections.
According to the Sankei Shimbun, despite public declarations that “it will not interfere in Taiwan’s elections,” Beijing is still trying to influence Taiwanese media through statements made by its Taiwan Affairs Office Chairman Wang Yi (王毅) and other officials, adding that China is also urging Taiwanese businessmen based in China to support Ma.
The article said that Beijing was putting out the word through pro-China groups in Taiwan that Beijing wants all 1 million China-based Taiwanese businesspeople to return home to vote in the elections, adding that the claim that some Taiwanese businessmen have been told that “if you can mobilize more votes for Ma, you will find doing business in China far easier in the future.”
Beijing is already making big moves under the table, the article said, adding that China has learned from past clumsy efforts at intervening when the outcome was the opposite of what Beijing would have wanted, and hence adopt a strategy of “cautious intervention” on this occasion.
Another newspaper, the Asahi Shimbun, said there has been a fall in support for Ma’s re-election campaign since he proposed signing a cross-strait peace accord over the next decade.
Ma’s re-election campaign efforts are also being undermined by what the Asahi Shimbun -described as a generally held perception that “the government lacks the perspective of the common people,” referring to the Dreamers (夢想家) rock musical debacle, a show that cost NT$215 million (US$7.1 million) and was staged for only two nights, as well as the initial decision to increase elderly farmers’ monthly pensions by a meager NT$316.
The analysis in the Asahi Shimbun pointed out that the KMT prefers to focus on cross-strait peace and economic development, together with the concept of safety, stability and ease of mind for all Taiwanese.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), it said, is stressing fairness and justice, adding that DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) had said she would begin dialogue with China within four months if elected.
The analysis also points out that the addition of People First Party candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜) to the presidential election would “possibly steal a certain amount of votes from the KMT,” adding that Soong’s strong oratory could “steal Ma’s thunder during the [planned televised] debates.”
Meanwhile, the Yomiuri Shimbun, said cross-strait relations were the biggest issue in the elections and although Ma and Tsai both want to maintain cross-strait peace, Ma recognizes the so-called “1992 consensus,” while Tsai does not “because Taiwan is already an independent sovereignty different from China.”
The article said various polls have shown support for the two main presidential candidates to be neck-and-neck, but that the addition of Soong to the campaign, meant that some pan-blue voters would not be voting for Ma, adding that “the common view is that things are looking bad for Ma.”
Translated by Jake Chung, Staff Writer
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by