The Presidential Office yesterday denied allegations that money from President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) special allowance fund had been used to buy diamond rings for the first lady.
"All the money has been used for public purposes and diplomatic missions," Presidential Office Spokesman David Lee (
Although receipts for the purchase of two diamond rings were used to apply for reimbursement from the fund, the rings had been paid for by the first family, Lee said.
One of the rings, worth NT$1.3 million (US$41,484), was given to Chen's mother-in-law as a gift, Lee said. However, he could not offer a clear accounting for the other ring, valued at NT$320,000.
He was responding to the Control Yuan's request for an explanation as to why the rings were not in the first family's assets declaration.
However, the Presidential Office's Public Affairs Department late last night said that Lee's remarks on the two diamond rings "needed further verification."
Lee appeared to contradict the Taipei District prosecutors' statement that Chen had claimed some of the money from the special allowance fund had been used to buy gifts for Wu. Prosecutors said NT$276,235 of the purchase of the NT$1.3 million diamond ring had been paid for with Sogo Department Store vouchers.
Meanwhile, Lee downplayed Chen's claim that a US lobbying firm had threatened to switch its services to China if the government refused to renew its contract.
"The president just expressed the concern that the company might disclose classified information to China if it [Beijing] signs a contract with them," Lee said.
"The president did not accuse the firm of making a threat nor did he specify which firm he was referring to," Lee said.
In a Sunday press conference, Chen said: "This firm said that if we did not renew the contract, they would go to China ? It is the nation's interests we are talking about. If they sign a contract with China, it would have a great impact on our national interests because they know so many of our secrets. So I decided to renew the contract for another year."
The US public relations firm Cassidy & Associates issued a statement on Monday saying: "The president's information is wrong."
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS