Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) yesterday embarked on a two-day tour of temples in northern Taiwan to express his gratitude for their assistance after the deadly earthquake that struck the south in February.
However, his trip has sparked speculation that he is visiting New Taipei City with an eye on running for the city’s top office in 2018.
After visiting seven temples in Taipei and one in New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水) yesterday, Lai is scheduled to visit several more in New Taipei City today, including Jian Temple (濟安宮) in Shulin District (樹林).
Photo: Kuo An-chia, Taipei Times
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) mayor will be setting foot on the electoral district of DPP Legislator Wu Ping-jui (吳秉叡), who is believed to be aiming for the mayoral post as well.
Sources said that Lai has maintained a political network in his native New Taipei City through clan and faith-based organizations, an impression bolstered this year on the presidential inauguration on May 20, when he brought 600 Tainan residents for a “single-day tour” of his old home in the city’s Wanli District (萬里).
At the time, Lai said he had no intention to run for New Taipei City mayor in 2018.
Lai’s temple visits will allow him to connect with larger groups of potential voters and have closer interaction with them compared with his last visit in May.
Commenting on the rumors, a Tainan City Government public relations official said Lai is visiting New Taipei City only to thank the temples that had contributed the highest amounts to Tainan after the earthquake.
Describing the trip as “low-key,” the official said the visit was arranged because Lai happened to have to meet central government officials that day.
“People should not read too much politics into it,” the official added.
New Taipei City is the nation’s most populous special municipality, and several DPP politicians are already maneuvering to run in the mayoral race in 2018.
Former premier Yu Shyi-kun (游錫堃), leader of the Taiwan Normal Country Promotion Association — which is also known as the “Yu faction” — has reportedly visited local notables in New Taipei City, although he has neither confirmed nor denied the possibility that he would make another run for city mayor.
Other DPP politicians aiming for the post include a “Yu faction” comrade, DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬); Wu, who is known to belong to former premier Su Tseng-chang’s (蘇貞昌) faction; and Legislator Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政), commonly viewed as a member of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) “Ing clique.” Lai belongs to the former “New Tide” faction.
Although the party’s factions were officially disbanded in 2006, most DPP politicians maintain loose alliances that share close ideologies.
Last week, singer Yu Tien (余天), the director of the DPP’s New Taipei City chapter and believed to favor the Yu faction, said in a radio interview that he would endorse Lai as the DPP candidate for Taipei in 2018.
Yu Tien’s remark added fire to rumors that the mayoral hopefuls are jockeying for position.
The fact that Lai will move through multiple electoral districts represented by DPP lawmakers of the Su faction is significant, because it suggests some form of “friendly understanding” between the DPP politicians is in play, allowing Lai to “test the waters” without worrying about “trespassing” into the territories of party comrades, sources said.
When asked for comment, Wu said he would accompany Lai if the Tainan mayor visits his neighborhood.
“The temples are simply receiving recognition for bipartisan charity work. People should not read too much politics into it,” he said.
Others speculate that Lai is testing his chances in the race for Taipei mayor.
Asked about the rumors, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said: “Do not assume so much.”
“They [temples] donated money, so it is only natural that he pays them a visit to thank them,” Ko said.
Additional reporting by Sean Lin
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as