In its latest issue, Next Magazine claimed to have obtained letters written by Lien Hui-hsin (連惠心), Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan's (連戰) eldest daughter, documenting domestic violence at home.
The magazine and the KMT argued yesterday over the penmanship in the letters, addressed to Lien Hui-hsin's childhood friend.
In the issue, which hit newsstands yesterday, the magazine said it obtained letters written in English by Lien Hui-hsin between 1979 and 1983 in which she mentioned that her father beat her mother, Lien Fang Yu (連方瑀).
The letters were addressed to a woman named Jane, whom Lien befriended at Taipei American School.
The return address listed on the stamped enveloped was the Lien family's residence on Dunhua South Road in Taipei City.
In the article, Next said it had the handwriting in the letters verified by an expert. It said the expert compared the signature in the letters with samples of Lien Hui-hsin's current signature and found the two had "no obvious characteristic differences."
However, KMT Legislator Huang Teh-fu (黃德福) said yesterday that the KMT had heard rumors about the letters about a month ago. He said the party had forwarded the letters for assessment and ruled that the handwriting did not match Lien Hui-hsin's.
Huang said someone had dropped off the letters at KMT headquarters and that this individual contacted the KMT a few days later.
Next stood by its story.
"We indeed had an expert conduct an examination on these letters. If Miss Lien wants to take legal action against us, we will be able to explain the matter to the judge," the magazine said yesterday.
In all the letters, Lien signed using her English name, "Arlene Lien."
In one letter, dated Aug. 7, 1980, Lien, who would have been 14 at the time, wrote: "I hate Chinese schools and I hate seeing my father beat my mother all the time. I want to leave it. I have to leave it."
"I told her why not divorce him? She said that if she did, then she would not get a cent and neither of us children will be allowed to see her either," she said in the letter.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) also responded to the article.
"The truth will reveal itself. If Lien Chan truly beats his wife, that fact will be known sooner or later," Taipei County Commissioner Su Tseng-chang (
In his National Day Rally speech on Sunday, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) quoted the Taiwanese song One Small Umbrella (一支小雨傘) to describe his nation’s situation. Wong’s use of such a song shows Singapore’s familiarity with Taiwan’s culture and is a perfect reflection of exchanges between the two nations, Representative to Singapore Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) said yesterday in a post on Facebook. Wong quoted the song, saying: “As the rain gets heavier, I will take care of you, and you,” in Mandarin, using it as a metaphor for Singaporeans coming together to face challenges. Other Singaporean politicians have also used Taiwanese songs
NORTHERN STRIKE: Taiwanese military personnel have been training ‘in strategic and tactical battle operations’ in Michigan, a former US diplomat said More than 500 Taiwanese troops participated in this year’s Northern Strike military exercise held at Lake Michigan by the US, a Pentagon-run news outlet reported yesterday. The Michigan National Guard-sponsored drill involved 7,500 military personnel from 36 nations and territories around the world, the Stars and Stripes said. This year’s edition of Northern Strike, which concluded on Sunday, simulated a war in the Indo-Pacific region in a departure from its traditional European focus, it said. The change indicated a greater shift in the US armed forces’ attention to a potential conflict in Asia, it added. Citing a briefing by a Michigan National Guard senior
CHIPMAKING INVESTMENT: J.W. Kuo told legislators that Department of Investment Review approval would be needed were Washington to seek a TSMC board seat Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) yesterday said he received information about a possible US government investment in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and an assessment of the possible effect on the firm requires further discussion. If the US were to invest in TSMC, the plan would need to be reviewed by the Department of Investment Review, Kuo told reporters ahead of a hearing of the legislature’s Economics Committee. Kuo’s remarks came after US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Tuesday said that the US government is looking into the federal government taking equity stakes in computer chip manufacturers that
CLAMPING DOWN: At the preliminary stage on Jan. 1 next year, only core personnel of the military, the civil service and public schools would be subject to inspections Regular checks are to be conducted from next year to clamp down on military personnel, civil servants and public-school teachers with Chinese citizenship or Chinese household registration, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Article 9-1 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) stipulates that Taiwanese who obtain Chinese household registration or a Chinese passport would be deprived of their Taiwanese citizenship and lose their right to work in the military, public service or public schools, it said. To identify and prevent the illegal employment of holders of Chinese ID cards or
RSS