President Chen Shui-bian (
On Saturday, Kaohsiung Mayor Yeh Chu-lan (葉菊蘭) announced the establishment of a five-member investigative team to look into controversies surrounding the massive Kaohsiung mass rapid transit (MRT) construction project.
Speculation about Chen's trust in Hsieh arose following Yeh's announcement.
It is widely believed that Chen directed Yeh to launch the inquiry into the problem-ridden project.
Responding to a media query as to whether he still trusts Hsieh, Chen said firmly: "Of course I trust him."
Chen made the response after paying a visit to a 102-year-old resident of Taipei, Lin Chen Jih (
According to a report yesterday by local Chinese-language evening paper the China Times Express, the internal DPP interpretation of the president's actions was that it showed his determination to root out corruption. One anonymous high-level DPP official was quoted as saying that he thought that the president would deliver an important speech on Double Ten National Day tomorrow and follow up with further action.
The controversies surrounding the Kaohsiung mass rapid transit system construction surfaced after a group of Thai laborers working on the project rioted on Aug. 21 in protest over unfair and inhumane treatment. Law enforcement authorities have been investigating the cause of the riot and alleged irregularities involved in the employment and management of the Thai workers.
Earlier this week, two of President Chen's advisers -- Chen Che-nan (
The Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP's) approval rating has shown signs of decline since the Aug. 21 riot. As a damage-control measure to prevent the alleged KRTC scandal from eroding support for the DPP ahead of the year-end "three-in-one" elections, President Chen reportedly asked Yeh to form a special investigative team to probe the administrative accountability of past Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) mayors, including Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), Hsieh and acting mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), in the controversies.
Yeh said Friday that the five-member team's investigation will be conducted "without any limitations." The team, composed of legal and construction experts, will look into alleged conflicts of interest impartially and selflessly and release its findings on Oct. 20, Yeh added.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing. “There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday said that China using armed force against Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, allowing the country to mobilize the Japanese armed forces under its security laws. Takaichi made the remarks during a parliamentary session while responding to a question about whether a "Taiwan contingency" involving a Chinese naval blockade would qualify as a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, according to a report by Japan’s Asahi Shimbun. "If warships are used and other armed actions are involved, I believe this could constitute a survival-threatening situation," Takaichi was quoted as saying in the report. Under Japan’s security legislation,
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