Politics

David Lee said to be named new Minister of Foreign Affairs

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-03-26
By: Chia Lee, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

David Tawei Lee, Taiwan’s representative in Australia and former envoy to the United States,

David Lee, Taiwan’s representative in Australia and former envoy to the United States, was said to be appointed the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, according to media reports.

David Lee, Taiwan’s representative in Australia and former envoy to the United States, was said to be appointed the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, according to media reports.

was said to be appointed the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, according to media reports.

Current Minister of Foreign Affairs, David Lin, was quoted as saying in the report Saturday that Lee was suitable for the position due to his rich experience in the field, and his ability has gained high recognition among his colleagues.

Lin added that Lee is one of the most senior officials in the ministry, who had in the past served multiple positions, including Deputy-minister of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan’s representative in the United States, Taiwan’s representative in Canada, Chairman of Coordination Council for North American Affairs / Headquarters for Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S. (TECRO), and his current position as Taiwan’s representative in Australia. Lee’s well-rounded resume makes him the right person for the job, Lin said.

Lee has served under several Kuomintang (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administrations, whose experience was said to be in accordance with President-elect Tsai Ing-wen’s foreign policy direction of “regional efforts and international participation.”     [FULL  STORY]

Wang Jin-pyng denies report of SEF offer

MAC BIAS?Storm Media said Tsai Ing-wen’s desire for stability means she is inclined to promote Mainland Affairs Council and pan-blue officials to leadership

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 27, 2016
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator and former legislative speaker Wang Jin-pyng

Legislator-at-large Wang Jin-pyng gestures at an entrance to the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on Thursday last week. Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times

Legislator-at-large Wang Jin-pyng gestures at an entrance to the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on Thursday last week. Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times

(王金平) yesterday denied a report that he was offered the chairmanship of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Online news portal Storm Media reported late on Friday that president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) contacted Wang — who Tsai considers a good candidate for the position — and offered him the chairpersonship, adding that Wang did not oppose the idea of quitting as a legislator to take the job.

The report said that because Tsai considers stability and maintaining the “status quo” as the guiding principles of her staffing plan for agencies dealing with cross-strait affairs, she has been, according to sources, inclined to promote officials working in the Mainland Affairs Council to leadership positions and to have someone from the pan-blue camp head the foundation.

The report said that Wang was keen on accepting the offer and playing the role of bridging gaps between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, but his aides were divided over the issue.

“It is all rumors,” Wang said.     [FULL  STORY]

Lien calls for KMT reform

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-03-26
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Former Taipei City mayoral candidate Sean Lien called for reforms 6744070at the Kuomintang, which was electing a new chairman Saturday.

Party members were casting ballots until 4 p.m. all over Taiwan Saturday to pick a new leader from among four candidates, acting chairwoman Huang Min-hui, former legislative vice speaker Hung Hsiu-chu, Taipei City councilor Lee Hsin and legislator Apollo Chen.

Lien, who is a member of the party’s Central Committee, posted a piece on his Facebook page outlining his ideas to reform the KMT, which lost both the presidential and the legislative elections last January.

He began with the suggestion that the party should be, as he termed it, “defeudalized,” apparently meaning that there should be less of a personality cult surrounding the chairman. The leader should provide service to the whole party, and not the other way round, Lien wrote, proposing to put the organization’s interest above the chairman’s personal interest. He also pleaded for more diversity in forming the leadership bodies.     [FULL  STORY]

KMT chair candidates attend caucus meet

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 19, 2016
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus invited the party’s four chairperson candidates

From left to right, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairperson candidates Hung Hsiu-chu, Huang Min-hui, Lee Hsin and Apollo Chen yesterday seek support from the party caucus at a meeting in Taipei. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times

From left to right, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairperson candidates Hung Hsiu-chu, Huang Min-hui, Lee Hsin and Apollo Chen yesterday seek support from the party caucus at a meeting in Taipei. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times

to a caucus meeting yesterday, saying that the party needs intra-party democracy and an induction of younger people.

With the chairperson election on Saturday next week, the hopefuls attended the caucus meeting to seek legislators’ support, calling the legislature the only place the party could still make a difference.

The caucus asked candidates whether party officials at the local party chapters should be elected, rather than appointed, but the candidates responded with their own criticisms and demands.

Taipei City Councilor Lee Hsin (李新) criticized the caucus for “failing to grasp the essential point” of the question asked.     [FULL  STORY]

KMT fears banks calling in loans

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-03-16
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Kuomintang could go bankrupt if banks started

The Kuomintang could go bankrupt if banks started calling in their loans to the party, the official in charge of its assets told its Central Standing Committee Wednesday.

The Kuomintang could go bankrupt if banks started calling in their loans to the party, the official in charge of its assets told its Central Standing Committee Wednesday.

calling in their loans to the party, the official in charge of its assets told its Central Standing Committee Wednesday.
The issue of the KMT’s assets, and especially those illegally gained in the period after the departure of the Japanese colonial administration in 1945, has become a key issue as President-elect Tsai Ing-wen and her Democratic Progressive Party have been emphasizing the need for “transitional justice.”

The KMT’s regular weekly CSC meeting Wednesday invited the party’s Administration and Management Committee director Lin Yu-hsien to present a special report on the issue.

As on previous occasions, Lin put the total net value of the assets last December at NT$16.6 billion (US$507 million), a figure that has been widely attacked as being far too low.     [FULL  STORY]

Next president to link defense policy to industrial development

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/15
By: Tai Ya-chen, Lu Hsin-hui and S.C. Chang

Taipei, March 15 (CNA) President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told her staff

Tsai (R) and Lin (C) at Chuang-Shan Institute of Science and Technology.

Tsai (R) and Lin (C) at Chuang-Shan Institute of Science and Technology.

Tuesday that the country’s industrial development prospects must be considered when bolstering the country’s defense capabilities.

She shared her strategy ideas during a visit to Taiwan’s main weapons research and development institute in Taoyuan along with several Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers.

During the visit to the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, Tsai said that when acquiring new weapons from abroad, “we must not ignore industrial technology cooperation,” according to Chang Ching-sen (張景森), her policy office director.

Chang quoted Tsai as calling for formation of a “defense industry cluster” — part of a defense policy proposal she promoted during her election campaign aimed at achieving a self-reliant defense industry.     [FULL  STORY]

Alliance touts constitutional reforms

FIRM BACKING:DPP Legislator Chen Chi-mai said past efforts to introduce reforms through the legislature had failed, adding that he supports the coalition’s proposals

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 16, 2016
By: Chang Hsiao-ti and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Civic groups plan to push for “bottom-up” constitutional reforms and prepare

Members of the Civil Alliance to Promote Constitutional Reform yesterday hold up signs at a news conference in Taipei, urging president-elect Tsai Ing-wen to fulfill her pledge on constitutional reform. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

Members of the Civil Alliance to Promote Constitutional Reform yesterday hold up signs at a news conference in Taipei, urging president-elect Tsai Ing-wen to fulfill her pledge on constitutional reform. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

constitutional amendment proposals for referendums by 2018, the Civic Alliance to Promote Constitutional Reform said yesterday.

The alliance, which was formed in 2014, told a news conference that its efforts would focus on two issues — lowering the voting age and reducing the threshold of the minimum percentage of votes a party must receive to be apportioned legislator-at-large seats.

According to the alliance, members of the public and legislators are to be jointly involved in the drafting of constitutional amendment proposals, which are to be submitted to popular referendum to coincide with the 2018 local elections for county commissioners and city mayors.

The drafting process is to be split into three stages: research, consultation and deliberation, the alliance said.     [FULL  STORY]

NPP elects party chairmen, executive to be announced

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 15, 2016
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter

A new slate of party chairmen was announced by the New Power Party (NPP) yesterday following internal party elections, with the party’s executive chairman to be announced today.

In order of support, the new slate includes the party’s current executive chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐), director Ko I-chen (柯一正), author Neil Peng (馮光遠), Legislator Kawlo Iyun Pacidal, Lin Feng-jeng (林峰正) and author Lin Shih-yu (林世煜).

Ko and Kawlo are new additions to the slate, while former legislator Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) and lawyer Huang Hsiu-chen (黃秀禎) chose not to stand for re-election.
The internal election followed promises by the party to hold chairmen elections after every national poll, with almost 44 percent of the party’s 2,094 members casting their ballots on 33 candidates.

Party members are eligible to vote for all approved candidates, with the seven candidates receiving the highest tally of votes forming the board.     [FULL  STORY]

KMT caucus calls for return of assets

NOT THAT RICH?A rumor that the KMT has more than NT$100 billion in assets is false, an official said, adding that the most the party ever had was NT$91.8 billion

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 11, 2016
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus issued a public statement

An open statement issued by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) addressing the party asset bill being considered by the legislature is pictured yesterday. Photo: Chen Yu-hsuan, Taipei Times

An open statement issued by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) addressing the party asset bill being considered by the legislature is pictured yesterday. Photo: Chen Yu-hsuan, Taipei Times

yesterday saying that it would participate in the review of the bill on party assets in the legislature “with a selfless, open and people-first attitude” and called on the party headquarters to return the assets to public interest groups or the government after deducting current and retired party workers’ pensions.

The statement said that the amassing of party assets “has its historical background,” as “the Republic of China [ROC] was established with the leadership of the KMT and the party army was the national army.”

“The ROC had gone through a long period of being a party-state,” it said.

During the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) administration from 2000 to 2008, the KMT’s assets were thoroughly investigated by the executive department, while then-Control Yuan member Huang Huang-hsiung (黃煌雄) of the DPP had also conducted a detailed investigation, the statement said.

“The handling of the so-called ill-gotten party assets therefore had already been done; the KMT has also withdrawn all the appeals in the lawsuits pertaining to the assets to show its sincerity in handling party assets,” the statement said.     [FULL  STORY]

Expect Tsai to address conflicts of interest

Taiwan News
EDITORIAL
Date: 2016-03-03
By: Taiwan News, Staff Writer

President-elect Tsai Ing-wen is not scheduled to be sworn in and become Taiwan’s 6738870first-ever female president until May 20, but already her relatives have come under scrutiny and their business dealings analyzed.

She started a tour of Taiwan’s economic sectors with biotechnology, one of the most promising industries likely to lift the country out of its present gloom and on to a higher plane of development.

Yet, just days later, accusations surfaced of insider trading at one of the most prominent companies in the sector, OBI Pharma Inc. The plot thickened even further when reports in the media identified Tsai Ying-yang, one of the president-elect’s brothers, as a shareholder in OBI Pharma.

While there was not a single report indicating he was involved in the as yet unproven case of insider trading, fingers immediately started pointing at Tsai, saying she was no better than the average Kuomintang politician.

She made the right response to the accusations, announcing she would resolve any likely conflicts of interest before her May 20 inauguration. She also denied any knowledge of her brother’s business activities.     [FULL  STORY]