The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday announced plans to appoint six new members, including Broadcasting Corp of China (BCC) chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), to its Central Advisory Committee.
The other five are former Straits Exchange Foundation vice chairman Kao Koong-lian (高孔廉); Tien Tsai-mai (田在勱), manager of Chung Yuan Christian University’s Executive Operation Office for Industry-Academia Cooperation; Chiu Kun-shuan (邱坤玄), a professor at National Chengchi University’s Graduate Institute of East Asia Studies; Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung (張亞中); and foreign capital analyst Kirk Yang (楊應超).
The KMT said that it would make the proposal at its next National Congress.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Meanwhile, Jaw said that he has not chosen a running mate for the 2024 presidential election.
He was speaking at a BCC event on the first day of work after the Lunar New Year holiday.
Jaw, whose KMT membership application was recently accepted, has also said that he intends to run for party chairperson in this year’s election.
Jaw in 1993 left the KMT with a group of others to form the New Party.
Asked whether he would step down if former Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) decided to run for chairperson, Jaw said he believed that Han did not entertain such thoughts.
“Why else would he ask me to run, if he himself intended to?” Jaw asked.
Asked about Han’s recent Facebook posts on politics and government policy, Jaw said that people have their own opinions on national affairs, including Han, who is a KMT Central Standing Committee member and a former mayor.
Making such opinions known does not necessarily reflect an intent to run for public office, Jaw said.
Asked about the number of people contending for the position of chairperson — former Taipei County commissioner Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋), former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), Han, former KMT chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), KMT Central Standing Committee member Sean Lien (連勝文) and KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) — Jaw said the more the merrier.
A party should not be afraid of having too many contenders, but should worry if it has none, Jaw said.
Asked about concerns that the pro-unification views of Hung, Chou and Han could “scare off” centrist or younger voters, Jaw said that everyone is entitled to their stance.
“One could say, that these views could draw out voters of that inclination,” he said.
Jaw has also made his intent to run for president in 2024 clear.
Asked if he would partner with Han, Jaw said that he had not talked with him about the issue, nor had he given it much thought.
Jaw said should both he and Han want to secure a KMT presidential ticket, they — and any other party members — could seek to be nominated though the same system.
The party should not be split every time there is an election, and a system with a fair set of rules should be implemented, Jaw said.
Should Han wish to arrange a meeting between himself, Jaw and Chiang, Jaw said that he would gladly attend.
More communication is good, and is certainly better than under-the-table maneuvering, he added.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS