Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is scheduled to officially launch her own foundation early next month to work on charity projects and public policy.
The foundation, provisionally called the “Hsiao-ying [Little Ing] Educational Foundation,” is considered by many to be the equivalent of a campaign headquarters if Tsai decides to seek the DPP nomination for the presidency in 2016.
The foundation’s executive director will be former finance minister Lin Chuan (林全) and its deputy executive director former DPP deputy secretary-general Hung Yao-fu (洪耀福). Several former DPP officials who worked under Tsai will also play an active role.
Key personnel and consultants will include former Mainland Affairs Council official Chan Chih-hung (詹志宏), economist Chen Po-chih (陳博志), economics professor Liu Chin-tien (劉錦添) and political analyst Yao Li-ming (姚立明).
One key aspect of the -foundation’s work will be the establishment of an online forum to promote dialogue and debate on national and social issues.
The forum, which has the working title “Thinking Taiwan Forum,” will encourage discussion in six broad categories, including democracy and law, China affairs, economic affairs and social and cultural issues, and will publish articles written by young professionals, academics, activists and prominent writers.
“The forum is intended to be an opinion leader among -intellectuals and to facilitate bipartisan discussion on various issues,” said a foundation staffer, who was not authorized to speak on the matter and wished to remain anonymous.
Tsai believes that it is essential for the nation to engage in a meaningful, pragmatic and rational discourse that transcends partisan politics and includes as many voices and opinions as possible, the staffer said.
While Tsai remains tight-lipped about whether she plans to run in the presidential election four years from now, several people have said the foundation resembles a campaign office, with departments focused on communications, -policy research, public relations and opinion polls.
The foundation also plans to work on the reorganization of the “Friends of Tsai Ing-wen,” a grassroots organization established during the presidential campaign, that has more than 10,000 members, to mobilize supporters.
Despite having fewer than 30 full-time employees, the foundation is also looking to make use of volunteers.
The foundation, which is funded from the NT$120 million (US$4 million) election subsidy Tsai received after the Jan. 14 presidential election, is still waiting for final approval from the Ministry of Education.
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
‘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
RSS