Politics

Chu, Hung speak on Soong’s presidential bid

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-08-06
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Kuomintang Chairman Eric Chu said he welcomes People First Party (PFP) Chairman

KMT confident despite Soong’s bid. Central News Agency

James Soong’s bid to the presidential election next January, and that the KMT will do everything it takes to win, reports said Thursday.

Chu’s comments came after Soong’s official bid to join the race following his press announcement in the morning.

Asked if Soong’s contention would disrupt KMT’s chances of winning, the chairman said he is looking to bring his party members as well as supporters together in an effort to come on top.

“We do not fear the contention,” he exclaimed, saying only unity will bring them together.

Meanwhile, KMT presidential contender Hung Hsiu-chu said she will not back down, adding that Soong’s bid only makes her more determined to win. [FULL STORY]

James Soong announces presidential bid

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/08/06
By: Lu Hsin-hui and Jay Chen

Taipei, Aug. 6 (CNA) James Soong (宋楚瑜), chairman of Taiwan’s minority People First Party (PFP), announced Thursday that he will stand in the presidential election to be held next January.

Soong, 73, made the announcement as Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), candidate of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), appears to enjoy a healthy lead over the Kuomintang’s Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) in the race to succeed President Ma Ying-jeou, who will step down next May after two four-year terms.

Observers say that Soong is likely to attract some voters who would otherwise vote for Tsai or Hung in the Jan. 16 election. He could also win the support of those who do not like either of the major candidates. [FULL STORY]

Cross-strait military imbalance tests Tsai’s strategic wisdom

Want China Times
Editorial
Date: 2015-08-02

Both the United States and Japan have warned that the cross-Taiwan Strait military balance

Tsai Ing-wen gives a press conference in Taipei, July 22. (Photo/CNA)

is tipping in China’s favor. They believe China is dedicated to building big landing ships and Zubr-class air-cushioned landing craft to improve its ability to launch an assault on the island. China also has an overwhelming quantitative edge in sea and air forces, and is also surpassing Taiwan qualitatively.

Although Taiwan has stepped up its ballistic missile capabilities, it will not be able to effectively counter the majority of China’s missiles.

Even more significant is China’s development of an “anti-intervention” strategy based on a strategic mindset of “whether or not to attack depends on Taiwan, how to attack depends on China, and how long the battle will last depends on the United States.”

Such a mindset will dramatically increase the costs associated with the US and Japan intervening in a cross-strait conflict, and Taiwan can no longer rely on the protection of the two countries for its security. [FULL STORY]

Tsai promises to fight for Pingpu legal recognition

APOLOGY:The DPP presidential candidate said that if elected, she would apologize to Aboriginal peoples on behalf of the nation for their disadvantaged situation

Taipei Times
Date: Aug 02, 2015
By: Loa Iok-sin / Staff reporter

Aboriginal representatives join Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai

Tsai promises to fight for Pingpu legal recognition

Ing-wen, center, at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday vowed to push for legal recognition of Pingpu Aborigines as well as Aboriginal autonomy once elected president.

Tsai made the vows during a news conference in Taipei to present her Aboriginal policy platform, marking her first policy presentation since she received the DPP’s official nomination as its presidential candidate.

“The DPP has not forgotten that Pingpu Aborigines are also members of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples, and they are entitled to the same degree of protection of their rights [as legally recognized Aboriginal people are] once their Aboriginal status is restored,” Tsai said, triggering a round of loud applause. “We will recognize the Pingpu Aborigines’ identity and right to make policy and laws, as well as actively preserve Pingpu languages and cultures, and, of course, as the population of [legally recognized] Aborigines increases, we will also increase relevant budgets.” [FULL STORY]

KMT legislative seats might drop to 45

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-07-28
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The ruling Kuomintang might expect to hold on to only 45 legislative seats in the January 16 legislative elections, or less than an absolute majority, reports said Tuesday.

At the current Legislative Yuan, the KMT occupies 65 out of 113 seats, but Democratic Progressive Party Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen hopes to translate her commanding lead in the presidential polls into the opposition’s first-ever legislative majority.

The KMT is so pessimistic that it has set a target of only 45 seats to win in the legislative election, the Chinese-language United Evening News reported Tuesday. The target takes into account current low opinion poll support for the party’s presidential nominee, Legislative Vice Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu, and a possible rival bid by People First Party Chairman James Soong, who might draw many KMT supporters away, the paper wrote. [FULL STORY]

Wang Jin-pyng dismisses team-up with James Soong

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 26, 2015
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday said that he has not talked to People

Greater Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu, right, yesterday shakes hands with Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng, who is also chairman of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, after Chen delivered an address at a forum on the consolidation of Taiwanese democracy organized by the foundation in Taipei. Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times

First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) for more than a year, in response to rumors that the two are planning to pair up for January’s presidential election.

The Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) cited an anonymous source alleging that Wang and Soong have been conversing “on a hotline” about potential collaboration for the next year’s presidential election, with Wang as the presidential candidate and Soong as his running mate.

Wang, a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), dismissed the report yesterday, calling it “someone’s unrealistic imagination.”

“I have not talked to Chairman Soong face-to-face or over the phone for at least a year,” Wang said. [FULL STORY]

Chu and Wang deny close contact with James Soong

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-07-25
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Kuomintang Chairman Eric Liluan Chu denied he wanted to hold a

Chu and Wang deny close contact with James Soong. Central News Agency (2015-07-25 15:16:48)

high-profile summit with People First Party Chairman James Soong, while Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng rejected talk of a presidential bid with Soong as the two had not spoken for over a year, reports said Saturday.

Since a KMT congress on July 19 approved the choice of Legislative Vice Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu as its candidate in the January 16 presidential election, speculation has been mounting about the PFP leader’s intentions.

While Democratic Progressive Party leader Tsai Ing-wen is still leading most opinion polls, the same surveys have been divided as to whether Soong or Hung would finish second.

Chu would reportedly try to persuade Soong not to divide the so-called “pan-blue” vote, because his candidacy would make Tsai’s task even easier, reports said. [FULL STORY]

Chinese dissident sets sights on seat in Taiwan parliament

Reuters (via Yahoo News)
Date: July 23, 2015
By: J.R. Wu

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Twenty-six years after Wu’er Kaixi stood alongside young comrades to

Wu’er Kaixi answers a questions during an interview with the media at Yuan Ze University in Taoyuan county, northern Taiwan May 22, 2014. REUTERS/Pichi Chuang

stare down People’s Liberation Army tanks in Tiananmen Square, the Chinese democracy activist has his sights set on winning a seat in Taiwan’s parliament.

Wu’er, a Taiwan citizen of nearly 20 years, and a rival from the pro-independence party have struck a gentlemen’s agreement whereby the one with the least support will endorse the other in a bid to unseat the incumbent from the ruling pro-China Nationalist Party, also known as Kuomintang (KMT), in central Taiwan next year.

“The KMT needs to be normalized. It is an enormous monster,”

said Wu’er, an ethnic Uighur who fled China and ultimately made Taichung his adopted home in 1996.

“The biggest mission in this campaign is to deepen the democracy of Taiwan,” said Wu’er, who will officially launch his campaign for a legislative seat on Friday. [FULL STORY]

Hung returns to Yuemei in Taichung on campaigning tour

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-07-23
By: Ko Lin, Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Kuomintang presidential contender Hung Hsiu-chu returned to the Yuemei village of Taichung

Hung on campaigning tour in Yuemei, Taichung. Central News Agency

County’s Houli Township on Thursday as part of her first leg of the campaigning tour to win support from her hometown.

“I’m back!” she screamed out loud, calling on her supporters that the daughter of the sugar field has returned.

Hung said she is forever grateful for the land she was born and raised, adding that she will not throw in the towel until the elections are over.

The KMT candidate was also joined by next year’s legislative runners, including Yang Chung-ying, Yen Kuan-heng, Lai Yi-huang, Yen Chiu-yue, Shen Chih-hwei, and among several others. [FULL STORY]

KMT candidate invites former U.S. VP to attend her inauguration

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/07/21
By: Tzeng Ying-yu and Romulo Huang

Taipei, July 21 (CNA) The ruling Kuomintang’s (KMT’s) presidential candidate, Hung Hsiu-chu

Quale (L) and Hung (R)

(洪秀柱), invited visiting former U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle Monday to attend her May 20 inauguration next year if she wins the election.

“I would like to invite you all to come to Taiwan again May 20 of next year to attend my inauguration,” Hung told Quayle in a meeting held in her office at the Legislative Yuan.

Hung, who currently serves as vice president of the Legislative Yuan, was officially nominated July 19 by the KMT as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2016 presidential election.

According to a statement issued by Hung’s office, she and Quayle exchanged views on a wide range of topics during the meeting that lasted for about 40 minutes, including cross-Taiwan Strait relations, the international economic situation and Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election. [FULL STORY]

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