Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential hopeful Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), in response to Time magazine’s description of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) as the likely winner of January’s election, said yesterday it was because the US has little understanding of her, as, unlike Tsai, she has only recently emerged as a candidate.
After Tsai made it onto the cover of Time, Hung congratulated her adversary in a radio interview yesterday and said it was “good” that she appeared on the cover.
When asked about the magazine referring to Tsai as possibly the nation’s next leader, Hung said it was because Tsai has been preparing for the presidential election for years and the US has a good understanding of her.
Photo: Lin Meng-ting, Taipei Times
Hung said that not only the US, but even the Chinese government is probably at a loss about how she has become a contender for president.
“[The magazine] said that only because they do not know me at all,” Hung said.
Hung also criticized what Tsai calls a “new model” of economic development — which is to lessen the nation’s dependence on China by building global ties and championing local brands — saying a candidate who is aiming to be a nation’s leader should refrain from using “adjectives” and provide concrete policies.
Later yesterday, Hung also reiterated her thoughts on visiting the US before the election, doubting it was necessary and saying that she would want to use the time to campaign in Taiwan, “where the votes are.”
“Visiting the US before the election is a convention created by [former president] Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), who went there because [Washington] had misgivings about the DPP taking over the presidential office, but many of the KMT’s policies are consistent with those of the US, which has a good understanding of the KMT. That’s why I’m not planning a visit,” Hung said.
Separately yesterday, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), who on Thursday seemed poised to throw his support behind Hung, but later the same day turned down Hung’s offer to be chief executive of her campaign headquarters, said he declined the offer because the speaker needs to remain neutral and he has a packed schedule.
“I have Hung’s understanding and acceptance [of the decision],” Wang said.
Meanwhile, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) was vague yesterday on whether the party’s charter would be amended so that Wang could remain legislative speaker.
Hung said on Thursday that the party’s charter would not be revised and that if Wang wanted to stay on as legislative speaker (and therefore a legislator) he could only do so by running in the legislative elections, as the charter stipulates that legislators-at-large can only be re-elected once.
“We should respect the speaker’s [decision]; the KMT’s nominations will be made in accordance with the set regulations,” Chu said.
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
Eleven people, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸), were taken into custody today for questioning regarding the evasion of compulsory military service and document forgery, the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. Eight of the people, including Wang, are suspected of evading military service, while three are suspected of forging medical documents to assist them, the report said. They are all being questioned by police and would later be transferred to the prosecutors’ office for further investigation. Three men surnamed Lee (李), Chang (張) and Lin (林) are suspected of improperly assisting conscripts in changing their military classification from “stand-by
LITTORAL REGIMENTS: The US Marine Corps is transitioning to an ‘island hopping’ strategy to counterattack Beijing’s area denial strategy The US Marine Corps (USMC) has introduced new anti-drone systems to bolster air defense in the Pacific island chain amid growing Chinese military influence in the region, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. The new Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) Mk 1 is being developed to counter “the growing menace of unmanned aerial systems,” it cited the Marine Corps as saying. China has constructed a powerful defense mechanism in the Pacific Ocean west of the first island chain by deploying weapons such as rockets, submarines and anti-ship missiles — which is part of its anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy against adversaries — the
Former Taiwan People’s Party chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) may apply to visit home following the death of his father this morning, the Taipei Detention Center said. Ko’s father, Ko Cheng-fa (柯承發), passed away at 8:40am today at the Hsinchu branch of National Taiwan University Hospital. He was 94 years old. The center said Ko Wen-je was welcome to apply, but declined to say whether it had already received an application. The center also provides psychological counseling to people in detention as needed, it added, also declining to comment on Ko Wen-je’s mental state. Ko Wen-je is being held in detention as he awaits trial
RSS