Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) yesterday pledged to develop the region’s economy if elected.
Hou made the remarks after Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate, said that the KMT’s call for a service trade agreement with China was “steering Taiwan’s economy toward China.”
There is no choosing sides when it comes to trade, but it must be carried out with a global perspective, Hou said.
Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei Times
One’s eggs cannot all be put in one basket, he said, adding that it is impossible to cut cross-strait trade.
The DPP has not been able to get Taiwan to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership or the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, Hou said, pledging that he would push for Taiwan’s inclusion in the regional trade blocs if elected so that Taiwan can make its mark in the region’s economy.
Separately yesterday, the KMT caucus accused the DPP government of sparking fear among local government officials by using the judicial system to investigate them for any possible contraventions of the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法).
Multiple borough wardens from around the nation are being investigated for allegedly having been treated by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office to free tours in China. The DPP government says the trips are evidence of China meddling in Taiwan’s elections.
KMT lawmakers said that the investigations have meant many borough wardens do not want to publicly endorse KMT candidates, as they say prosecutors are acting like the secret police.
The KMT’s vice presidential candidate, Broadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), said that he could not find anything illegal with these trips.
“Even if the wardens met with Chinese officials, who asked them to support certain candidates, wardens can decide for themselves who they want to support. They will not change their minds simply because they were treated to free meals and free tours. Would you reporters support KMT presidential candidate Hou You-yi simply because I ask you to?” Jaw said.
The DPP cannot bring peace to the nation and there would be cross-strait trade negotiations as long as the DPP is still in power, Jaw said.
“The DPP has proven it is incapable of advancing cross-strait dialogue. To protect our agricultural products, it is reasonable to set restrictions, which can be negotiated. However, the DPP did not want to talk, which affects Taiwan greatly,” he said.
Additional reporting by Lai Hsiao-tung and Shelley Shan
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could
RSS