The nation's leaders celebrated the Lunar New Year yesterday by visiting temples, but nevertheless made a few comments about next year's presidential election.
President Chen Shui-bian (
However, well-wishers were disappointed by the absence of first lady Wu Shu-jen (
Chen and Wu have faithfully followed the precedent set by former president Lee Teng-hui (
This year's red envelopes were a little bit different: Instead of a picture of the lunar animal of the year, they were emblazoned simply with the word "Taiwan."
Each envelope contained a NT$10 coin and a picture of a little girl putting a coin into a piggy bank to welcome the Year of the Pig.
Thousands of people line up every year for the chance to receive a red envelope from the president. Many stake out a spot in line days ahead of time by placing a stool or a chair in their place.
Chen Chao-shou (陳朝壽) of Taipei County was the first person to receive a red envelope from the president yesterday. He said he had camped outside the president's parents' home for about a week.
Last year, Chen Chao-shou engaged in a shoving match with another person in line, who insisted that he had been first.
Later, President Chen treated villagers to fried rice noodles and fish ball soup before going to Tai-tien Temple in Matou (
Before traveling to Tainan, President Chen and Lu visited a number of temples, including Huei-an Temple in Kuantien and Taipei's Pao-an and Hsing-tien temples.
When approached by the media in Taipei, Lu was less ambiguous than before about her election plans and admitted that she is in the process of consulting with her advisers.
Lu said she was not surprised by mounting speculation that Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Yu Shyi-kun would soon announce his intention to run in the presidential race and wished him good luck.
Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Ma Ying-jou (
Ma, who announced his intention to run in the presidential election on Tuesday, said that he had not yet selected a running mate.
Responding to a question, Ma said he would not feel "awkward" when meeting with Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) today.
The two have developed a strong rivalry since competing in the KMT's chairperson election last year. Wang is expected to announce his presidential bid after the Lunar New Year holiday.
Authorities have detained three former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TMSC, 台積電) employees on suspicion of compromising classified technology used in making 2-nanometer chips, the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday. Prosecutors are holding a former TSMC engineer surnamed Chen (陳) and two recently sacked TSMC engineers, including one person surnamed Wu (吳) in detention with restricted communication, following an investigation launched on July 25, a statement said. The announcement came a day after Nikkei Asia reported on the technology theft in an exclusive story, saying TSMC had fired two workers for contravening data rules on advanced chipmaking technology. Two-nanometer wafers are the most
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
CHINA’s BULLYING: The former British prime minister said that he believes ‘Taiwan can and will’ protect its freedom and democracy, as its people are lovers of liberty Former British prime minister Boris Johnson yesterday said Western nations should have the courage to stand with and deepen their economic partnerships with Taiwan in the face of China’s intensified pressure. He made the remarks at the ninth Ketagalan Forum: 2025 Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prospect Foundation in Taipei. Johnson, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time, said he had seen Taiwan’s coastline on a screen on his indoor bicycle, but wanted to learn more about the nation, including its artificial intelligence (AI) development, the key technology of the 21st century. Calling himself an
South Korea yesterday said that it was removing loudspeakers used to blare K-pop and news reports to North Korea, as the new administration in Seoul tries to ease tensions with its bellicose neighbor. The nations, still technically at war, had already halted propaganda broadcasts along the demilitarized zone, Seoul’s military said in June after the election of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. It said in June that Pyongyang stopped transmitting bizarre, unsettling noises along the border that had become a major nuisance for South Korean residents, a day after South Korea’s loudspeakers fell silent. “Starting today, the military has begun removing the loudspeakers,”
RSS