Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) yesterday pressed charges against former Taiwan Pineapple Group (台鳳) vice chairman Huang Tsung-hung (黃宗宏) for libel and violation of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Law (總統副總統選罷法).
Lien accused Huang of spreading false information to the media and the public in an attempt to influence the election.
Huang wrote to the media two days ago, stating that he had twice provided political donations to the KMT. In his letter, Huang said that his donations were similar to the Chen Yu-hao (陳由豪) bribery scandal.
The first donation was made in 1998, when Huang gave NT$100 million to the KMT as a political donation to prevent the stock price of Taiwan Pineapple from falling, according to Huang. The second donation was made in 1999, when former Pingtung County commissioner Wu Tse-yuan (
The donations were both linked to Lien, and Huang implied that Lien took a part of the donations.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus yesterday attacked Lien, saying former Chang Hwa Bank (
Lien pressed charges against Huang yesterday afternoon.
Chang Hwa Bank yesterday also denied that it lent money to Taiwan Pineapple after Huang paid Wu in 1999.
"We did approve Taiwan Pineapple's application for borrowing conditionally, but because Taiwan Pineapple could not have Citibank issue a letter of credit as required, the application was rejected," Chang Hwa vice president Hsieh Chao-nan (
KMT-PFP spokesman Alex Tsai (蔡正元) said yesterday that Huang and Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Chen Che-nan (陳哲男) were friends, but Chen Che-nan denied the charge.
The PFP caucus offered evidence in the afternoon to show that Huang and Chen were quite familiar with each other and had business relations.
The PFP produced a land registration document showing that Chen Che-nan's son, Chen Chi-yao (陳其堯), co-owned land in Pingtung County with the Dimen Arts Company (帝門藝術公司) and Huang's mother, and that they mortgaged the land together in exchange for a sum that was much greater than the land value.
"The arts company is actually an affiliate of Taiwan Pineapple, while Huang Yeh Tung-mei (黃葉冬梅) is Huang's mother. This shows the Chens and the Huangs knew each other well and even did business together," said Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀), director of the PFP's Center for Policy Research.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in