Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) yesterday said that she would be pleased if KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) decides to quit as New Taipei City mayor and be her running mate.
Hung made the comment when asked about speculation by former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City councilor Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) on a political talk show on Thursday night that Chu in October is to resign as mayor and join the presidential race.
“I would be thrilled if Chu resigned as mayor to be my deputy,” she said, but denied that she is to be replaced by Chu as the party’s presidential candidate.
Hung said that society does not lack “rumors,” and that “if you ask me questions about my policy or other issues relating to social well-being, it would be fine to do so one hundred times, but the question that I have been asked over and over again is about my replacement.”
“There is no need to spend time on this topic anymore. I have come this far and it is impossible for me, no matter what twists and turns there might be, to withdraw from the election. I am very determined,” Hung said.
She asked her fellow party members not to be instigated into internal conflicts by rumors spread by the opponent, “or the battle would be a difficult one.”
It was not the first time that a rumor saying Chu would resign in October has drawn attention.
Late last month the same comments were denied by KMT lawmakers, including Alicia Wang (王育敏), who said that Hung has “already been officially nominated by the party and [the nomination would not be retracted] unless Hung herself wishes to withdraw.”
Chu responded to the question about the rumor of his resignation at a water bamboo shoots event in New Taipei City, where he indirectly denied the rumor by inviting people to have water bamboo shoots with him in October.
Chu said he has discussed the possibility of being Hung’s running mate with her before and in principle, the KMT’s vice presidential candidate would be one from the central or southern part of Taiwan.
“It is not yet the time to reveal the name, but we can tell you that we are now making the offer,” he said.
Separately, Hung’s campaign office yesterday announced on Facebook that the team’s youth group is to invite more young people to train and work on a project tailor-made for Hung.
“There is 1.29 million people who are to cast the first vote of their life in the coming elections. All the candidates want their votes. The best way to understand the young people is to learn from them,” the team said.
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
RSS