Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday pledged to push for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) if he is elected president in January’s election.
Chu made the remarks during an interview with the News98 radio station, during which he said a Chu-Xi meeting would come naturally if he wins the presidential race, given the KMT’s expected continuation of its peaceful cross-strait policy.
“The significance of a Chu-Xi meeting not only lies in that it would be a follow-up of the Ma-Xi meeting [between Xi and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) in Singapore on Nov. 7], but also in the possibility that it could bring further developments in terms of peace and the creation of a win-win situation across the Taiwan Strait,” Chu said.
Asked about the potential location for a Chu-Xi meeting, Chu said Indonesia has offered to host the next meeting of cross-strait leaders, but added that he is open to other options.
Chu said that if cross-strait ties became more amicable and peaceful, he would not rule out inviting Xi to Taiwan, or visiting China.
“The normalization of meetings between cross-strait leaders is an inevitable step. It is conducive to promoting cross-strait peace, mutual benefits and cooperation,” Chu said.
Dismissing allegations that the US is discontent with the Ma administration giving inappropriate notice about the Ma-Xi meeting, Chu said that Washington values regional peace greatly.
“The US has been under tremendous pressure due to a recent spate of terror attacks in the Middle East and Europe. Stability across the Taiwan Strait fits the US’ national interests,” Chu said.
Chu returned to Taiwan on Monday after a week-long visit to the US as part of his presidential campaign.
With regard to his running mate, Chu said that he started sounding out potential candidates before his US trip, adding that he would announce the party’s vice presidential candidate in the next few days.
Names that have emerged as likely candidates to be Chu’s running mate include: KMT Vice Chairperson Huang Min-hui (黃敏惠), news anchor Jennifer Shen (沈春華), media personality Sisy Chen (陳文茜) and former Council of Labor Affairs Minister Jennifer Wang (王如玄).
The Taipei City Government yesterday said contractors organizing its New Year’s Eve celebrations would be held responsible after a jumbo screen played a Beijing-ran television channel near the event’s end. An image showing China Central Television (CCTV) Channel 3 being displayed was posted on the social media platform Threads, sparking an outcry on the Internet over Beijing’s alleged political infiltration of the municipal government. A Taipei Department of Information and Tourism spokesman said event workers had made a “grave mistake” and that the Television Broadcasts Satellite (TVBS) group had the contract to operate the screens. The city would apply contractual penalties on TVBS
The lowest temperature in a low-lying area recorded early yesterday morning was in Miaoli County’s Gongguan Township (公館), at 6.8°C, due to a strong cold air mass and the effect of radiative cooling, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. In other areas, Chiayi’s East District (東區) recorded a low of 8.2°C and Yunlin County’s Huwei Township (虎尾) recorded 8.5°C, CWA data showed. The cold air mass was at its strongest from Saturday night to the early hours of yesterday. It brought temperatures down to 9°C to 11°C in areas across the nation and the outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties,
A new board game set against the backdrop of armed conflict around Taiwan is to be released next month, amid renewed threats from Beijing, inviting players to participate in an imaginary Chinese invasion 20 years from now. China has ramped up military activity close to Taiwan in the past few years, including massing naval forces around the nation. The game, titled 2045, tasks players with navigating the troubles of war using colorful action cards and role-playing as characters involved in operations 10 days before a fictional Chinese invasion of Taiwan. That includes members of the armed forces, Chinese sleeper agents and pro-China politicians
STAY VIGILANT: When experiencing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, such as dizziness or fatigue, near a water heater, open windows and doors to ventilate the area Rooftop flue water heaters should only be installed outdoors or in properly ventilated areas to prevent toxic gas from building up, the Yilan County Fire Department said, after a man in Taipei died of carbon monoxide poisoning on Monday last week. The 39-year-old man, surnamed Chen (陳), an assistant professor at Providence University in Taichung, was at his Taipei home for the holidays when the incident occurred, news reports said. He was taking a shower in the bathroom of a rooftop addition when carbon monoxide — a poisonous byproduct of combustion — leaked from a water heater installed in a poorly ventilated
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