The four candidates vying for the position of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairperson yesterday took part in a televised policy presentation appealing for party members’ support.
Incumbent KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) pledged that he would not run for president on the party ticket in 2024 and would rather serve as a “kingmaker,” adding that voting for him to lead the party for a second term meant embracing the future.
There should be more options regarding the cross-strait issue, he said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Both sides of the Taiwan Strait need to find ways to sit and talk things over, Chiang said, adding that, most importantly, peace and safety should be maintained across the Strait.
The KMT needs to “walk the walk” and provide more opportunities for young people, he said.
The party culture of older members lecturing younger members needs to change, or else young people would find it difficult to accept the KMT, Chiang said.
Former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), who was elected KMT chairman in an unopposed by-election in January 2015 and resigned in January 2016 following the party’s losses in the presidential and legislative elections, said that the KMT needs a chairperson who can consolidate the party against the Democratic Progressive Party.
“No one can claim to be a ‘kingmaker’ in 2024; only a strong KMT can be a ‘kingmaker,’ whereas a weak KMT will only unmake kings,” he said, in apparent reference to Chiang’s remarks.
The KMT’s core tenets are the same as that of Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙) and former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), Chu said, adding that the KMT is the successor to the very spirit that founded and defended the Republic of China.
The KMT must resume cross-strait interactions as the KMT’s participation in such forums enable the public to see that the KMT is trying to foster regional peace, prosperity and safety for the next generation, he said.
Chu added that if he was elected, he would let young people know that the KMT loves Taiwan and supports freedom and democracy, adding that under his leadership, the KMT would create more opportunities for young people.
Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung (張亞中) accused Chu and Chiang of making empty promises and not offering anything tangible.
Chang said that if elected, he would seek dialogue with Beijing regarding the signing of a peace treaty, as long as the KMT became the ruling party in 2024.
The KMT has lost its “soul” and “ideals,” with its leaders concerned only for themselves or their factions, he said, adding that only if the KMT moves forward would any young people consider joining.
Former Changhua County commissioner Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源) said the party chairperson must be professional and selfless, so that young people feel they are receiving the party’s attention and respect.
Cho said that if elected, he would invite Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to visit Taiwan and hold a cross-strait political summit in Taiwan.
The KMT chairperson election is scheduled for Sept. 25, after being postponed from July 24 due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
Eight restaurants in Taiwan yesterday secured a one-star rating from the Michelin Guide Taiwan for the first time, while three one-star restaurants from last year’s edition were promoted to two stars. Forty-three restaurants were awarded one star this year, including 34 in Taipei, five in Taichung and four in Kaohsiung. Hosu (好嶼), Chuan Ya (川雅), Sushi Kajin (鮨嘉仁), aMaze (心宴), La Vie by Thomas Buhner, Yuan Yi (元一) and Frassi in Taipei and Front House (方蒔) in Kaohsiung received a one-star rating for the first time. Hosu is known for innovative Taiwanese dishes, while Chuan Ya serves Sichuan cuisine and aMaze specializes
Taitung County is to launch charter flights to Malaysia at the end of this year, after setting up flights to Vietnam and Thailand, the Taitung County Government said yesterday. The new charter flight services, provided by low-cost carrier Batik Air Malaysia, would be part of five-day tour packages for visits to Taitung County or Malaysia. The Batik Air charter flight, with about 200 seats, would take Malaysian tourists to Taitung on Dec. 30 and then at 12:35pm return to Kuala Lumpur with Taiwanese tourists. Another charter flight would bring the Taiwanese home on Jan. 3 next year, arriving at 5:30pm, before taking the
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) plans to ease strained capacity during peak hours by introducing new fare rules restricting passengers traveling without reserved seats in 2026, company Chairman Shih Che (史哲) said Wednesday. THSRC needs to tackle its capacity issue because there have been several occasions where passengers holding tickets with reserved seats did not make it onto their train in stations packed with individuals traveling without a reserved seat, Shih told reporters in a joint interview in Taipei. Non-reserved seats allow travelers maximum flexibility, but it has led to issues relating to quality of service and safety concerns, especially during
An exhibition celebrating Taiwan and Japan’s comic culture opened on Saturday in Taichung, featuring a section that explores Taiwanese reproductions of Japanese comics from when martial law limited Japanese representation. “A Century of Manga Culture: An Encounter of Taiwan and Japan’s Youth” held its Taiwan opening ceremony at Taichung’s National Taiwan Museum of Comics after an initial one-month run in Japan’s Kyoto International Manga Museum between May 24 and June 24. Much like the Kyoto exhibition, the show mainly celebrates the comic connection between Taiwan and Japan through late Taiwanese comic book
RSS