HE SAID, SHE SAID:The first televised presidential debate saw Chu and Tsai banter over stalled talks and travel details, while Soong said he had been sidelined
Taipei Times
Date: Dec 28, 2015
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter
The three presidential candidates yesterday put the first televised debate into
Left to right, People First Party presidential candidate James Soong, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Eric Chu and Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen take part in a debate yesterday in the Public Television Service building in Taipei’s Neihu District.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
high gear soon after their opening statements, trading criticisms as they responded to questions posed by five media representatives in the second session of the debate.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫) criticized Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) when the candidates were asked to declare their stance on whether they would agree to the US’ condition that imported pork with leanness-enhancing additives must be allowed as a prerequisite for Taiwan to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
Noting Tsai’s meeting with US trade representatives in June, Chu said Tsai excluded the meeting from her itinerary to avoid media queries, adding that it was during the discussion that the possibility of importing leanness-enhanced pork is believed to have taken place.
Chu said his own meeting with US officials was carried out in an open manner, adding he that responded to reporters’ questions about his meeting.
The same opaqueness in Tsai’s meeting was manifest in her cross-strait policies, Chu added.
