The Republic Party yesterday announced that United Microelectronics Corp (UMC) honorary deputy chairman John Hsuan (宣明智) has joined the party, sparking speculation whether he would represent the party in the Jan. 16 elections.
Hsuan was a cofounder of the company — the nation’s first semiconductor manufacturing firm — and had served as its chief executive officer.
“I have joined the Republic Party,” Hsuan said in a press release by the party, adding he hoped could “add to the party’s voice.”
Since the party’s founding in March, it has already attracted 100,000 members, Hsuan said, bolstering his confidence that it is a party worthy of trust and able to get things done.
Hsuan did not say whether he would join the elections or take any other political role within the party.
The party said he had filled the application for membership and paid his dues at a private party earlier this month, which was also attended by Republic Party Chairmand and Legislator Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩).
Hsu said that Hsuan is a graduate of National Chiao Tung University like her, and they got to know each other after she joined politics.
Hsuan had campaigned for Hsu during her legislative run and gave her advice during the party’s founding.
Hsu founded the Republic Party after withdrawing from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) along with other prominent members, including her brother, Taipei City Councilor Hsu Shih-shun (徐世勳), and former Miaoli County legislator Kang Shih-ju (康世儒).
Additional reporting by Liao Hsueh-ju
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,
A cat named Mikan (蜜柑) has brought in revenue of more than NT$10 million (US$305,390) for the Kaohsiung MRT last year. Mikan, born on April 4, 2020, was a stray cat before being adopted by personnel of Kaohsiung MRT’s Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station. Mikan was named after a Japanese term for mandarin orange due to his color and because he looks like an orange when curled up. He was named “station master” of Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station in September 2020, and has since become famous. With Kaohsiung MRT’s branding, along with the release of a set of cultural and creative products, station master Mikan
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
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