Ko has been slammed for his odd metaphor describing Taiwan-US-China relations like a careless bank robber surrounded by police
Taiwan News
Date: 2019/01/23
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je
(By Central News Agency)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) came under fire for his recent odd metaphor to describe Taiwan-US-China relations, and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) joined a fellow DPP legislator on Jan. 21 to call on Ko to mind his business as a mayor, and not get involved with cross-strait affairs.
Last week, when asked by a TV host in an interview how Taiwan can well survive a confrontation between the U.S. and China under President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) pro-U.S. foreign policy, the outspoken mayor used an awkward metaphor to reply “There is a robber attempting to rob a bank but failing to notice there stand many cops aside while bagging the money.”
The city government’s deputy spokesperson Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) came to elaborate Ko’s statement right after the interview, saying Ko is trying to emphasize that Taiwan should avoid overly leaning to one side amid the confrontation between the two superpowers, and should make any decisions in the best interests of Taiwanese people.
Despite the clarification, criticism continues to pour in. DPP legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) took to the Facebook to describe Ko’s pro-China stance and his motto – “the two sides of the strait are one family” – as “a doe with one eye,” in a sarcastic manner.
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