Sunday’s meeting between independent presidential candidate Terry Gou (郭台銘) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) nominee Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) shows that anything — including a potential joint ticket between the two — is possible before Friday’s candidate filing deadline, Gou’s campaign said yesterday.
Huang Shih-hsiu (黃士修), a spokesman for Gou’s campaign, made the comments to reporters about the hour-long meeting at Gou’s home on Sunday night, one day after Ko’s negotiations on forming a joint ticket with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) hit a wall due to disputes over polling results.
Huang said that KMT Chairman Eric Chu’s (朱立倫) dealings with Ko mirrored the “promise-breaking and breach of trust” Chu showed when Gou unsuccessfully sought the party’s presidential nomination in May.
Photo: Wu Cheng-Ting, Taipei Times
Given those actions, “the KMT might be on its own” in January’s election, Huang said.
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) founder Gou is preparing to register as an independent candidate, even as talks with Ko continue, and “any result is possible,” he said.
Regarding the possibility of a Gou-Ko ticket, Huang said that Gou did not have “any preset opinions” on the matter, and that Gou or Ko could lead a joint ticket.
At a rally on Sunday, Ko sent mixed signals on whether he would continue seeking an alliance with the KMT, saying he would “extend utmost goodwill” to unite opposition parties, but is committed to “fight to the end” as the TPP’s presidential candidate.
Regarding the meeting with Gou, a Ko campaign spokesperson was similarly vague, saying that the two had discussed ways to bring opposition candidates together.
The KMT, which has nominated New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) as its presidential candidate, has set tomorrow as its deadline for forming a joint ticket with Ko.
If that fails, both the KMT and TPP would have to quickly announce their running mates to register before the end of the week.
The candidates face Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential candidate, who has consistently led the field in opinion polls.
Lai yesterday announced Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), who recently resigned as representative to the US, as his running mate.
EXPRESSING GRATITUDE: Without its Taiwanese partners which are ‘working around the clock,’ Nvidia could not meet AI demand, CEO Jensen Huang said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and US-based artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer Nvidia Corp have partnered with each other on silicon photonics development, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said. Speaking with reporters after he met with TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) in Taipei on Friday, Huang said his company was working with the world’s largest contract chipmaker on silicon photonics, but admitted it was unlikely for the cooperation to yield results any time soon, and both sides would need several years to achieve concrete outcomes. To have a stake in the silicon photonics supply chain, TSMC and
SILICON VALLEY HUB: The office would showcase Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors and artificial intelligence, and help Taiwanese start-ups connect with global opportunities Taiwan has established an office in Palo Alto, one of the principal cities of Silicon Valley in California, aimed at helping Taiwanese technology start-ups gain global visibility, the National Development Council said yesterday. The “Startup Island Taiwan Silicon Valley hub” at No. 299 California Avenue is focused on “supporting start-ups and innovators by providing professional consulting, co-working spaces, and community platforms,” the council said in a post on its Web site. The office is the second overseas start-up hub established by the council, after a similar site was set up in Tokyo in September last year. Representatives from Taiwanese start-ups, local businesses and
‘DETERRENT’: US national security adviser-designate Mike Waltz said that he wants to speed up deliveries of weapons purchased by Taiwan to deter threats from China US president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, affirmed his commitment to peace in the Taiwan Strait during his confirmation hearing in Washington on Tuesday. Hegseth called China “the most comprehensive and serious challenge to US national security” and said that he would aim to limit Beijing’s expansion in the Indo-Pacific region, Voice of America reported. He would also adhere to long-standing policies to prevent miscalculations, Hegseth added. The US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing was the first for a nominee of Trump’s incoming Cabinet, and questions mostly focused on whether he was fit for the
SHARED VALUES: The US, Taiwan and other allies hope to maintain the cross-strait ‘status quo’ to foster regional prosperity and growth, the former US vice president said Former US vice president Mike Pence yesterday vowed to continue to support US-Taiwan relations, and to defend the security and interests of both countries and the free world. At a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Pence said that the US and Taiwan enjoy strong and continued friendship based on the shared values of freedom, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Such foundations exceed limitations imposed by geography and culture, said Pence, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time. The US and Taiwan have shared interests, and Americans are increasingly concerned about China’s
RSS