New Taipei City (新北市) Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday said he will focus on the city’s development and declined to discuss the possibility that he might run in the 2016 presidential election.
“There’s still a lot of time until 2016. My priority is to focus on the city’s development and work with the Taipei City Government on the twin city cooperation projects [with Taipei] in order to bring more happiness for our citizens,” he said yesterday while attending an agricultural product promotion activity in Taipei.
Chu’s comments came in response to remarks made by his father-in-law, former speaker of the defunct Taiwan Provincial Assembly Kao Yu-jen (高育仁), that Chu should seek to represent the KMT in the 2016 presidential election “if the nation needs him.”
In an interview with News 98 radio on Friday, Kao criticized President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) for what he said was a lack of understanding of the legislature, and said he should take a more proactive approach to leading the nation.
When asked about Chu’s chances in the 2016 presidential election, Kao said he did not have information on his bid, but would not oppose it if he decided to run the election.
“If the nation needs him, he should not hesitate to seek the candidacy,” he said.
Chu yesterday said he was aware of his father-in-law’s comments, and would remind him to “pay more attention when commenting [on the issue].”
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), who also attended the event, said the KMT will be united in seeking victory in the presidential election, but declined to confirm whether he would join the election.
“Mayor Chu and I are both focusing on the city development, and we meet regularly to discuss cooperation between the two special municipalities.
The KMT will be united in the 2016 election because only with unity can we win the election,” said Hau, also a KMT member.
Both Chu and Hau are perceived as likely KMT candidates for the presidential election.
As Ma indicated that he would not hand-pick a preferred successor, the two mayors will be competing for the presidential candidacy with another two rivals — Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) and Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺).
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could
RSS