Politics

Jennifer Wang tipped as Chu running mate

Choice likely to be announced Wednesday

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-11-17
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – As presidential election frontrunner Tsai Ing-wen

Jennifer Wang tipped as Chu running mate. Central News Agency

Jennifer Wang tipped as Chu running mate. Central News Agency

confirmed the choice of former Health Minister Chen Chien-jen as her running mate, speculation increased that Kuomintang candidate Eric Liluan Chu would pick ex-Labor Minister Jennifer Wang as his vice-presidential hopeful Wednesday.

After days of reports in the media, Tsai confirmed on Monday that Academia Sinica Vice President Chen, who led the nation’s effort against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) a decade ago, would be her running mate. Since opinion polls have been putting her way out in the lead for months, the epidemiologist is widely expected to become vice president.

Since a KMT congress nominated party chairman Chu last month to replace faltering Legislative Vice Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu as its candidate in the January 16 election, his poll standings have barely improved. Choosing a female running mate could help compensate and raise his profile in the opinion surveys, reports said.     [FULL  STORY]

Siew may interact with Xi Jinping informally

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/11/17
By: Tang Pei-chun, Emerson Lim and Lee Mei-yu

Manila, Nov. 17 (CNA) Former Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) said Tuesday that there 201511170038t0001will be no official meeting between him and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) during the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit in Manila because of his tight schedule, but he added that he will interact with Xi informally on any possible occasion.

In a press conference ahead of the summit, Siew denied the possibility of a “Siew-Xi” meeting, because both of them have very tight schedules at this year’s APEC leaders’ meeting.

He noted that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) just met with the Chinese leader 10 days ago in Singapore, and the two leaders have already talked about all outstanding issues in that landmark meeting.

Although there won’t be an official meeting, Siew stressed that there will be many chances to meet with leaders of APEC economies at the summit, and said that he will interact in a “natural manner” with Xi if they meet up on other occasions.     [FULL  STORY]

KMT caucus says US supports Chu

Taipei Times
Date:  Nov 17, 2015
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said that remarks made by former

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang, center, addresses a press conference in Taipei yesterday, discussing KMT presidential candidate Eric Chu’s recent visit to the US. Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang, center, addresses a press conference in Taipei yesterday, discussing KMT presidential candidate Eric Chu’s recent visit to the US. Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times

American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) chairman Richard Bush on the sidelines of a closed-door seminar between KMT presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫) and dozens of US academics in Washington on Friday was suggestive of US support for the KMT chairman.

KMT Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) said that Bush’s remarks that the US valued the cross-strait developments under President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration since 2008 and that it would like to see it continued was what the US had been wanting to say, but could not.

“This bodes ill for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), as in the US’ mind, it has already graded the KMT and the DPP based on their cross-strait policies,” Lin said.

“What people say during elections might vastly differ from what they say after becoming policymakers. To me, that is where the problems lie,” Bush said.     [FULL  STORY]

KMT Chairman Chu wraps up US visit

Taiwan Today
Date: November 16, 2015

Ruling Kuomintang Chairman Eric Chu returned Nov. 16 to Taiwan after wrapping up a

Kuomintang Chairman and presidential candidate Eric Chu fields questions from the media after visiting the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Nov. 12 in Washington. (UDN)

Kuomintang Chairman and presidential candidate Eric Chu fields questions from the media after visiting the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Nov. 12 in Washington. (UDN)

seven-day U.S. trip to promote his policy platform as the KMT candidate in the 2016 ROC presidential election.

During his stay in Washington, Chu met with several high-ranking U.S. officials, including Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as well as Assistant Secretary of State and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel and Susan Thornton, respectively.

The Nov. 12 discussions went exceedingly well, according to Chu, with both sides exchanging ideas on such common issues as democracy and freedom, security cooperation and trade relations.     [FULL  STORY]

Wang mum on Chu’s VP choice

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-11-16
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng pointed out Monday that Kuomintang chairman and

Wang mum on Chu's VP choice. Central News Agency

Wang mum on Chu’s VP choice. Central News Agency

presidential candidate Eric Chu has his ideal choice of running mate, saying an announcement will be made in due course.

Commenting on speculations as to whether the KMT has reserved him a ‘safe seat’ on its legislator-at-large list, Wang said he doesn’t indulge in such rumors, adding that he will go with the flow as long as it’s in the best interest of the party.

Following the Democratic Progressive Party’s legislative at-large list announcement last week, and considering Chu’s return from the United States earlier in the morning, the local media has been speculating that the ruling KMT is also expected to make their public announcements sometime this week.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s election 2016: how politicians could blow it all with a handkerchief

From bath sponges to cellphone stands, candidates in the island’s election are handing out all sorts of gifts to woo voters

South China Morning Post
Date: 15 November, 2015

With two months to go before Taiwan’s 2016 elections, politicians are trying to boost their

Masks imprinted with cartoon figures were among the items candidates are handing out. Photo: United Daily News

Masks imprinted with cartoon figures were among the items candidates are handing out. Photo: United Daily News

chances by giving away gifts that include everything from facial masks to bath sponges – but are steering clear of inauspicious items such as handkerchiefs.

Kuomintang Vice-chairman Hau Lung-pin, a candidate for Keelung’s legislative council, had recently given cereal to people at the city’s train station, Taiwan’s United Daily News said.

Keeping Kuomintang mosquitoes at bay. Photo: United Daily News

Another of the party’s legislative members, Chiang Chi-chen, had given mosquito repellent to people in the south, where there have been recent outbreaks of dengue fever, while other KMT members had given away facial masks, it reported.

Democratic Progressive Party candidates had given away such household items as bath sponges, kitchen towels and cellphone stands.     [FULL  STORY]

Tsai pledges to improve nation’s working environment

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-11-15
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen promises that her

Tsai vows to improve work environment. Taiwan News

Tsai vows to improve work environment. Taiwan News

government will set a tone of being supportive of youth welfare if she is elected, reports said Sunday.

Tsai posted a campaign video on her Facebook page in the morning claiming that she will seek to tackle the issue with low pay and income inequality, stressing that a stable career path for the nation’s youth will no longer be unattainable.

The video, which depicts a young female from out of town budgeting on her expenses after moving to Taipei, explains the story of the nation’s grim employment sector where salaries have remained stagnant amid rising costs of living.

Reflecting on the subject, the DPP presidential contender said one of her goals in running for president is to create an efficient government that will help to resolve Taiwan’s working environment, including long working hours and unreasonable pay.

“I hope to find a country where everyone is entitled to live and work in peace and contentment,” Tsai said on social media.     [FULL  STORY]

Tsai emphasizes communication

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-11-14
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – If the Democratic Progressive Party wins the election, the next

Tsai emphasizes communication. Central News Agency

Tsai emphasizes communication. Central News Agency

government will be the Cabinet in history most adept at communicating, presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen said Saturday.

The opposition leader has been ahead in virtually all opinion polls for the January 16 presidential election for months.

She made the statement during a campaign outing on behalf of a DPP legislative candidate in the New Taipei City district of Xindian.

The biggest problem was that the people of Taiwan did not have any confidence in the country, in the government, and in politics, she said. Politics was seen too much as confrontation and the exchange of interests, according to Tsai. If the DPP returned to power next year, politics would unite people instead of dividing them, she said.

Tsai lashes out at Ma and Chu for ‘skewed’ priorities

Taipei Times
Date:  Nov 15, 2015
By: Loa Iok-sin  /  Staff reporter

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday criticized President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫) over their criticisms of her.

Ma during a news conference on Friday about his recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) accused the DPP legislative caucus of dodging its responsibility to keep the executive branch checked since it objected the KMT motion to invite Ma to brief the legislature about his meeting with Xi.

“The key point is that the Ma-Xi meeting was completely opaque before it happened. The people did not know what they would be talking about and how they would talk about it. Even the legislative speaker said he did not know the details,” Tsai said when responding to media queries at a campaign event in Keelung. “For such reasons, the people now distrust the KMT government, and the fundamental cause of this is that there is not an established procedure for it.”     [FULL  STORY]

VP announcement is up to Tsai: Chen Chien-jen

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-11-14
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Academia Sinica Vice President Chen Chien-jen, the man widely 6715414touted to become Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen’s running mate, said Saturday the announcement of the choice was up to her.

On Friday, the Chinese-language Apple Daily said it was virtually certain that the popular former health minister would join Tsai, who has been leading opinion polls for the January 16 election for months.

Few DPP leaders, including Tsai, were willing to openly comment on the newspaper report, even though Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chu, who officially heads the election campaign office, seemed to confirm it Saturday morning.

Chen Chien-jen himself appeared at a Christian speech event Saturday afternoon, where he faced a barrage of questions from the media.     [FULL  STORY]