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.
Japan has deployed long-range missiles in a southwestern region near China, the Japanese defense minister said yesterday, at a time when ties with Beijing are at their lowest in recent years. The missiles were installed in Kumamoto in the southern region of Kyushu, as Japan is attempting to shore up its military capacity as China steps up naval activity in the East China Sea. “Standoff defense capabilities enable us to counter the threat of enemy forces attempting to invade our country ... while ensuring the safety of our personnel,” Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said. “This is an extremely important initiative for
MORE POPULAR: Taiwan Pass sales increased by 59 percent during the first quarter compared with the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said The Tourism Administration yesterday said that it has streamlined the Taiwan Pass, with two versions available for purchase beginning today. The tourism agency has made the pass available to international tourists since 2024, allowing them to access the high-speed rail, Taiwan Railway Corp services, four MRT systems and four Taiwan Tourist Shuttles. Previously, five types of Taiwan Pass were available, but some tourists have said that the offerings were too complicated. The agency said only two types of Taiwan Pass would be available, starting from a three-day pass with the high-speed rail and a three-day pass with Taiwan Railway Corp. The former costs NT$2,800
POLLS CONCERNS: There are concerns within the KMT that a Cheng Li-wun-Xi Jinping meeting could trigger a voter backlash in elections in November Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to visit next month, her party and Chinese state media reported yesterday. Cheng, who took up her role in November last year, “gladly accepted” the invitation to lead a delegation to China, the KMT said in a statement, confirming a Xinhua news agency report. Cheng “looks forward to joint efforts by both parties to advance the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, promote cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, and work for peace in the Taiwan Strait and greater well-being for people on both sides,” the statement said. Chinese
SIGNIFICANT TO THE WORLD: The delegation’s visit aims to send a clear message that bipartisan support for Taiwan is consistent, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen said The US Senate’s bipartisan support for Taiwan remains strong and Taiwan-US ties would continue for decades to come, a US Senate delegation said in Taipei yesterday, while calling on the legislature to swiftly pass a special defense budget bill. A US delegation led by Democratic US Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican US Senator John Curtis — both members of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations — arrived in Taiwan yesterday for a two-day visit. The other senators of the delegation included Senate Taiwan Caucus cochair Thom Tillis and Senate Committee on Armed Services senior member Jacky Rosen. Shaheen told a news
RSS