Page Two

KMT youth to hear leadership hopefuls

GROWING SUPPORT:About 2,000 people signed an online petition calling on the KMT to deal with contentious party assets and promote youth participation in politics

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 23, 2016
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter

An initiative launched by the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) younger

Former KMT vice chairman Hau Lung-bin talks to the press in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

Former KMT vice chairman Hau Lung-bin talks to the press in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

members advocating party reform yesterday announced that it would hold a forum to invite KMT chairmanship candidates to answer questions regarding their plans for the party.

“We are going to hold a forum called ‘Chairman, may I ask a question?’ in the hopes of understanding the candidates’ plans to reform the party and subject them to public scrutiny,” the Grassroots Cooperation Alliance said in a press statement.

The alliance said a number of KMT members have announced that they would run for party chairmanship, including Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), former KMT vice chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) and Taipei City councilors Lee Hsin (李新) and Chung Hsiao-ping (鍾小平).

However, their election manifestos are merely slogans and lack substantial plans for reform, the alliance said.     [FULL  STORY]

Hau declares bid for KMT chairman

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-21
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Former Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin announced

Hau declares bid for KMT chairman Agence France-Presse (2016-01-21 19:13:44)

Hau declares bid for KMT chairman
Agence France-Presse (2016-01-21 19:13:44)

Thursday he was running for chairman of the Kuomintang in the March 26 election.

Hau lost a bid for a legislative seat in Keelung last Saturday and also resigned as one of the KMT’s vice chairpersons to take responsibility for the party’s massive defeat in both the presidential and legislative elections.

The party needed to be brought back to life again, but not completely reconstructed, Hau said, in what sounded like a rejection of comments made Wednesday by Legislative Vice Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu during her announcement of a bid to become party leader.

Hau reportedly acknowledged that he belonged to a different stream of ideas within the KMT, and that the race for the leadership was a competition between different routes for the party’s future.     [FULL  STORY]

Part of Freeway 5 may be closed due to icy road

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/21
By: Wang Shu-fen and S.C. Chang

Taipei, Jan. 21 (CNA) Transportation authorities said Thursday that part of Freeway No. 5 that links Taipei and Yilan may be closed due to icy road as a strong cold front is forecast to grip Taiwan starting Friday night.

The National Freeway Bureau said the road between Pengshan and Pinglin on Freeway No. 5 could turn icy as temperatures are forecast to drop to 5 degrees Celcius. If that happens, the Shiding-Toucheng section will be closed to ensure driving safety, said the bureau.

Motorists will be advised to switch to Provincial Highway 2, it said, adding that road users will be alerted of the changing road conditions and urged to drive slowly and carefully during the cold spell that is expected to last until early next Tuesday.

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has put up a “cold front” banner on its website to provide useful updates that it hopes will help people brave the severe weather conditions: http://www.motc.gov.tw/ch/home.jsp?id=15&parentpath=0,2&mcustomize=multimessages_list.jsp&qclass=201601210001     [FULL  STORY]

Evergreen Group founder Chang Yung-fa dies at 88

Taiwan Today
Date: January 21, 2016

Chang Yung-fa, founder of Taiwan shipping and transportation conglomerate

Evergreen Group founder Chang Yung-fa, who died Jan. 20 aged 88 in Taipei, leaves behind a vast legacy straddling the worlds of business and philanthropy. (UDN)

Evergreen Group founder Chang Yung-fa, who died Jan. 20 aged 88 in Taipei, leaves behind a vast legacy straddling the worlds of business and philanthropy. (UDN)

Evergreen Group, died Jan. 20 aged 88 in Taipei City, according to a statement by the company.

Born 1927 in Yilan County of eastern Taiwan, Chang started his shipping career with Minami Nippon Steamship’s Keelung office at 14. He founded Evergreen Marine Corp. in 1968 and grew the one-vessel company into one of the world’s largest container carriers.

Over the years, Chang’s business expanded to logistics, travel and related services, including a hotel chain with locations in Taipei, Bangkok, Paris and other cities.

The tycoon entered the aviation sector in 1989 with EVA Airways Corp., Taiwan’s first privately owned international airline. The Taoyuan City-based carrier provides passenger and cargo services in over 40 markets around the world.     [FULL  STORY]

Calls for expulsion over KMT criticism

BY ANY OTHER NAME:KMT members are considering dropping ‘China’ from the Party’s name as they assess how to appeal to younger voters amid internal splinter party conflict

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 22, 2016
By: Shih Hsiao-kuang and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

New Party (新黨) member Wang Ping-chung (王炳忠) yesterday called for the

Wang Ping-chung, right, who suggested that the New Party changes its name to “Chinese Nationalist Party,” on Wednesday points to a sign with the text “Chinese Nationalist Party.” Photo: Screen grab from Wang Ping-chung’s Facebook page

Wang Ping-chung, right, who suggested that the New Party changes its name to “Chinese Nationalist Party,” on Wednesday points to a sign with the text “Chinese Nationalist Party.” Photo: Screen grab from Wang Ping-chung’s Facebook page

expulsion of former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) spokesperson Yang Wei-chung (楊偉中) from the party over Yang’s recent criticism of the KMT, including a name change.

Wang also criticized a group of younger KMT members who founded the “Grassroots Cooperation Alliance” for speaking out for reforms in the party after the election, but failing to support the party when it needed it most.

Wang said that Yang had also quit his position as spokesperson during the Sunflower movement, but had resumed his position after the situation died down.

“If you keep running away in the face of danger and returning in times of peace, why would the party need you as a ‘spokesperson?’” Wang said.

Wang said Yang’s claims that the KMT needs to change its name from Chinese Nationalist Party to Nationalist Party, to dispose fully of its party assets and become a democratized party was insulting, particularly as Yang had, days before the election, claimed on Facebook that he was a “Taiwanese independence activist” as a response to the Chou Tzu-yu (周子瑜) incident.     [FULL  STORY]

Court approves detention of legislative official

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-20
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Taipei District Court approved the detention 6729997Wednesday of Legislative Yuan Secretary-General Lin Hsi-shan after he reportedly admitted to having received NT$7 million (US$207,000) in bribes during a train trip.

Investigators raided 19 locations and interviewed 33 people Tuesday in a case alleging that Lin had accepted money from Farnet Technologies Co., Ltd. in return for lucrative contracts to improve online systems at the Legislative Yuan.

Lin’s wife was released on bail of NT$2 million (US$59,000) Wednesday morning, but prosecutors requested the official’s detention, which was approved by the court after a hearing during the afternoon.     [FULL  STORY]

‘Recognise Taiwan as a country’ petition gets over 9,800 signatures

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/20
By: Evelyn Kao and Romulo Huang

Taipei, Jan. 20 (CNA) The number of signatures on an online petition to 201601200029t0001“Recognise Taiwan as a country,” which was launched Monday by British citizen Chapman Lee, had climbed to 9,846 as of 11:45 p.m. Wednesday, Taiwan time, close to the number required for a response by the United Kingdom government.

The petition, posted on the UK Government and Parliament website (here), said that due to the one-China policy the United Kingdom does not recognize the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and that all relations between the two countries take place on an unofficial basis.

“It’s time to change this. Taiwan is an independent country,” yet China states that Taiwan is just another part of China, and most countries in the world do not recognize Taiwan because they do not want to upset China, the petition states.     [FULL  STORY]

NDC responds to AmCham 2016 business survey

Taiwan Today
Date: January 20, 2016

Improving Taiwan’s business environment through administrative reform

AmCham Taipei Chairman Dan Silver outlines the results of the 2016 Business Climate Survey Jan. 19 in Taipei City. (UDN)

AmCham Taipei Chairman Dan Silver outlines the results of the 2016 Business Climate Survey Jan. 19 in Taipei City. (UDN)

remains a key policy priority of the ROC government, according to the National Development Council Jan. 19.

“All agencies are addressing concerns raised by local and foreign business associations in their annual policy suggestions,” an official from the NDC said.

“Greater effort will be put into bringing local procedures in line with international standards, easing restrictions on recruiting talents from abroad and providing ample notice of relevant changes to foreign firms in country.”

The NDC response followed the release of the 2016 Business Climate Survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei earlier the same day.     [FULL  STORY]

Move KMT headquarters to Taichung: members plead

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 21, 2016
By: Staff writer, with CNA

Some members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) have suggested that the party relocate its power center out of the capital, and that to do so, the party should move its headquarters from Taipei to Taichung.

The KMT has to stop seeing the world from Taipei, the KMT’s Taichung City Council caucus said yesterday, while calling for party reforms.

The Republic of China’s oldest political party suffered its biggest defeat since 1949, when it lost the Chinese Civil War and was forced to relocate to Taiwan, in Saturday’s presidential and legislative elections.

Not only did the KMT lose the presidency, but also its long-held legislative majority.     [FULL  STORY]

Tsai to tour country Jan.21-29

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-19
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – President-elect Tsai Ing-wen and her running mate 6729798Chen Chien-jen will tour the country from January 21 through 29 to thank voters for their support, the Democratic Progressive Party announced Tuesday.

Tsai won 56 percent in a landslide victory last Saturday, while her party won an unprecedented 68 seats at the 113-member Legislative Yuan. The new president and the vice president will be sworn in on May 20.

In order to thank voters, Tsai and Chen would visit most parts of the country and attend tea parties, beginning with Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Tainan on January 21. The areas are known as DPP strongholds, while Tsai’s parents hailed from Pingtung County.

Northeastern Taiwan’s Yilan County would follow January 22, with the other parts of the country to be visited on January 23, 24, 26, 28 and 29, according to the DPP.     [FULL  STORY]