Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) returned to Taiwan from a three-week trip to the US yesterday, saying that he was ready to embark on his presidential campaign.
Ko told reporters at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport that he had achieved his three goals for his US visit, the first being to “understand” the US, which he said plays a critical role in Taiwan’s national security.
The second goal was to look at Taiwan from the US’ perspective, he said, adding that he gained a better feel for Washington’s expectations of Taiwan after speaking with government officials.
Photo: CNA
His discussions would help him better prepare for Taiwan’s future, he said.
The third goal was to introduce Taiwan’s “third political force,” which includes the TPP, to Americans, he said.
Ko said that he would begin today to seek the TPP’s formal nomination as its candidate for the presidential election in January next year.
A press event would be held by May 20 after the party confirms his candidacy, he said.
The 63-year-old departed for the US on April 8 and visited New York, Boston, Washington and Houston, Texas.
During his time in the US capital, he spoke at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.
In Houston on Wednesday, Ko visited government offices.
The TPP said that the Houston City Government designated Wednesday as “Taiwanese people’s day” to mark 62 years of sister-city ties with Taipei.
Houston was Taipei’s first sister city, with the two signing a sisterhood document in 1961, Ko said.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday said it is fully aware of the situation following reports that the son of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai (薄熙來) has arrived in Taiwan and is to marry a Taiwanese. Local media reported that Bo Guagua (薄瓜瓜), son of the former member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is to marry the granddaughter of Luodong Poh-Ai Hospital founder Hsu Wen-cheng (許文政). The pair met when studying abroad and arranged to get married this year, with the wedding breakfast to be held at The One holiday resort in Hsinchu
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon this morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan between Friday and Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The storm, which as of 8am was still 1,100km southeast of southern Taiwan, is currently expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, the CWA said. Because of its rapid speed — 28kph as of 8am — a sea warning for the storm could be issued tonight, rather than tomorrow, as previously forecast, the CWA said. In terms of its impact, Usagi is to bring scattered or
An orange gas cloud that leaked from a waste management plant yesterday morning in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音) was likely caused by acidic waste, authorities said, adding that it posed no immediate harm. The leak occurred at a plant in the district’s Environmental Science and Technology Park at about 7am, the Taoyuan Fire Department said. Firefighters discovered a cloud of unidentified orange gas leaking from a waste tank when they arrived on the site, it said, adding that they put on Level A chemical protection before entering the building. After finding there was no continuous leak, the department worked with the city’s Department
RSS