The China Post
Date: April 24, 2017
By: Kuan-lin Liu

(Compiled by The China Post. Images: CNA, captured from the internet)

Aspirants for the leadership of the Kuomintang (KMT) hit the campaign trail in earnest on their first weekend as official candidates.

Leadership frontrunner and ex-Vice President Wu Den-yih vowed to resurrect the opposition’s support among young people, as he met with party representatives in Pingtung Sunday.    [FULL  STORY]

SIGNATURES:Leaked information showing that a large percentage of the submitted signatures were invalidated had some candidates accusing their rivals of ‘foul play’

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 22, 20171
By: Shih Hsiao-kuang and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with CNA

All six aspirants for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairpersonship election on

A member of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) election committee speaks in Taipei yesterday following the confirmation of six aspirants as eligible to run for chairperson. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times

May 20 became official candidates yesterday, after they were confirmed to have submitted enough valid signatures from party members to take part in the race.

The six candidates are KMT Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), Vice Chairman and former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), former vice president Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), former KMT vice chairman Steve Chan (詹啟賢), former KMT legislator Pan Wei-kang (潘維剛) and former Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corp president Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜).

The aspirants were required to submit more than 13,322 signatures — 3 percent of eligible KMT members — to qualify as candidates.    [FULL  STORY]

RECRUITMENT:A former National Security Bureau agent allegedly tried to pay cash and offer safe passage to an intelligence officer in exchange for national secrets

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 17, 2017
By: Chen Wei-han / Staff reporter

A former National Security Bureau agent responsible for protecting former vice

Former vice president Annette Lu, center, shakes hands with a bystander at an event organized by the Tainan Bureau of Social Affairs at the National Tainan Living Art Center yesterday. Photo: Tsai Wen-chu, Taipei Times

president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) was detained on suspicion of espionage, prompting lawmakers to call for increased penalties for people caught spying for China.

Major Wang Hung-ju (王鴻儒), a former agent of the Special Service Command Center, was arrested on Monday for allegedly attempting to develop a spy network for China.

Wang allegedly attempted to recruit a Military Police Command intelligence officer surnamed Tseng (曾) to gather information about operations in exchange for a large cash payment and safe relocation to China if Tseng was exposed. Tseng rejected the offer.

From left, Democratic Progressive Party legislators Chen Chi-mai, Lee Chun-yi and Chao Tien-lin at a news conference in Taipei yesterday call for increased penalties for people caught spying for China. Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times

Wang’s activity was discovered by the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau during a probe into Taiwanese businessman Ho Chih-chiang (何志強), who in 2010 was sentenced to 14 months in prison for attempting to recruit a security bureau official to collect information about overseas national security officials; the security bureau’s satellite communication system; Taiwan’s Japan policy and “secret diplomacy”; the Tibetan independence movement; and Falun Gong activities.

Wang, a former military police officer, was transferred to the security bureau’s special service unit in 2002 to protect Lu.

He retired in 2003 and was allegedly recruited by Chinese intelligence operatives in 2009.   [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 16, 2017
By: Chen Wei-han / Staff reporter

Ahead of the third anniversary of the Sunflower movement, a coalition of democracy

Economic Democracy Union convener Lai Chung-chiang yesterday stands alongside cardboard cutouts of President Tsai Ing-wen and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming at a protest outside the DPP’s headquarters in Taipei. 2 Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times

advocates yesterday called on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to honor its pledge to pass a cross-strait oversight bill that has been awaiting review for several months.

A number of protesters rallied in front of the DPP headquarters in Taipei, calling on President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) and other party leaders to attend an anniversary event to be held at the legislature on Saturday.

The event, scheduled to begin at 7pm, will call for the implementation of a regulatory mechanism for cross-strait negotiations.    [FULL  STORY]

The Presidential Office said that the survey result reflected a generally optimistic view of the nation’s overall development.

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/02/20
By: Wendy Lee, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The approval rating for President Tsai Ing-wen has risen 7.6

(By Central News Agency)

points to 41.4 percent, according to the latest poll conducted by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation released Monday.

The survey found 41.4 percent of the respondents approve of Tsai’s job performance, a 7.6 percent increase from the same poll last month.

You Ying-lung, chairman of the foundation, described the survey result as somewhat “peculiar”, while attributing the increase in the rating to a number of factors, including the government’s economic development initiative, Cabinet reshuffle, and pension reform plans.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: February 13, 2017
By: The China Post news staff

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Former President Ma Ying-jeou’s spokesperson joined Hau Lung-

Kuomintang Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu, right, and party chairman candidate Hau Lung-bin shake hands at a Lunar New Year event in Taipei, Sunday, Feb. 12. (CNA)

bin’s campaign for Kuomintang (KMT) leader Sunday — but Ma himself again declined to back a candidate for the party’s top job.

Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯), spokesman for Ma’s personal office, will assume the same position in party Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin’s (郝龍斌) campaign.

The appointment of Hsu, a former head of the KMT Youth League who is considered a rising star within the party, was confirmed by Ma’s office on Sunday.

Ma’s office said that Hsu would continue in her current role, managing communications and media collaborations for the ex-president’s office.    [FULL  STORY]

The election will be held on May 20.

The News Lens
Date: 2017/02/10
By: Mo Tz-pin

Taiwan’s opposition party China’s National People’s Party, also known as the

Photo Credit: Reuters/達志影像

Kuomintang (KMT) is set to elect its new chairperson on May 20.

Five senior KMT members have already officially announced to run for chair: current KMT chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), former vice president Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), KMT Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), former KMT vice chairman Steve Chan (詹啟賢) and Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Co. Chairman Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜). Just yesterday, former KMT legislator Pan Wei-kang (潘維剛) announced that she also intends to become a candidate for the chair, potentially becoming the sixth contestant in the race.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: January 9, 2017
By: James Lo

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Tensions rose Sunday ahead of a press conference this morning that will likely see the

Tensions rose Sunday ahead of a press conference this morning that will likely see the race for the Kuomintang (KMT) leadership expand to three candidates.

race for the Kuomintang (KMT) leadership expand to three candidates.

Meanwhile, one of the contenders, former Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin, announced that he would not seek the opposition party’s presidential candidacy while serving as chairman.

In a Facebook post Sunday, Hau said he believed politicians who constantly targeted higher positions were unable to fulfill their current duties.

The comments came after he encouraged his rivals to resist using the party’s leadership position as a stepping stone for higher office.

In a Facebook post Saturday announcing his bid for the KMT’s top job, Hau said the role “should not be used as a means to elevate one’s own political ambitions.”    [FULL  STORY]