President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday talked and shook hands at the Double Ten National Day celebration, as the two met for the first time since Ma accused Wang of improper lobbying, leading to a serious political rift.
The interaction between Ma and Wang became the center of attention at the ceremony amid calls from politicians and the public to end the so-called “September political strife.”
As a gesture of goodwill, Ma addressed Wang as “Legislative Speaker Wang” in his Double Ten National Day speech, after seeking his ouster as head of the legislature earlier.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Wang praised the eight national prospects Ma presented in his speech.
The two exchanged handshakes five times throughout the two-hour ceremony, and chatted about the performance on several occasions. First lady Chow Mei-ching (周美青), who was seated between the two, also talked with both of them during the ceremony.
The political impasse between Ma and Wang began when the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), with Ma as chairman, revoked Wang’s membership over allegations of improper lobbying.
The KMT has lately softened its stance, saying it would not appeal Wang’s injunction suit against the KMT’s revocation of his membership.
As the director of the National Day Celebration Organizing Committee, Wang yesterday accompanied Ma throughout the ceremony. He entered the Presidential Office to accompany Ma to the ceremony at 10am and explained the ceremony’s procedures to the first couple.
As they watched the performance, Ma and Wang both put on straw hats prepared by the committee. The normally poker-faced Chow wore a smile and even helped Ma adjust jos hat, creating a cordial atmosphere at the ceremony.
When Wang entered the Presidential Office and invited Ma and Chow to attend the ceremony, Ma and Wang discussed a wide range of topics from the design of the ceremony’s stage to the weather and Wang’s morning walks, Presidential Office spokesperson Lee Chia-fei (李佳霏) said.
Lee said the two did not touch on the issues of improper lobbying or wiretapping.
Wang shrugged off media questions if his interaction with the president signified that they had broken the ice, saying: “There is no ice to break.”
Ma did not comment on his interaction with Wang. However, in his speech, the president stressed the importance of judicial independence in building a civil and democratic society.
The remarks echoed his previous pledges to seek justice and defend judicial independence in dealing with allegations involving improper lobbying by Wang.
People can preregister to receive their NT$10,000 (US$325) cash distributed from the central government on Nov. 5 after President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday signed the Special Budget for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience, the Executive Yuan told a news conference last night. The special budget, passed by the Legislative Yuan on Friday last week with a cash handout budget of NT$236 billion, was officially submitted to the Executive Yuan and the Presidential Office yesterday afternoon. People can register through the official Web site at https://10000.gov.tw to have the funds deposited into their bank accounts, withdraw the funds at automated teller
PEACE AND STABILITY: Maintaining the cross-strait ‘status quo’ has long been the government’s position, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Taiwan is committed to maintaining the cross-strait “status quo” and seeks no escalation of tensions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, rebutting a Time magazine opinion piece that described President William Lai (賴清德) as a “reckless leader.” The article, titled “The US Must Beware of Taiwan’s Reckless Leader,” was written by Lyle Goldstein, director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Defense Priorities think tank. Goldstein wrote that Taiwan is “the world’s most dangerous flashpoint” amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said that the situation in the Taiwan Strait has become less stable
CONCESSION: A Shin Kong official said that the firm was ‘willing to contribute’ to the nation, as the move would enable Nvidia Crop to build its headquarters in Taiwan Shin Kong Life Insurance Co (新光人壽) yesterday said it would relinquish land-use rights, or known as surface rights, for two plots in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投), paving the way for Nvidia Corp to expand its office footprint in Taiwan. The insurer said it made the decision “in the interest of the nation’s greater good” and would not seek compensation from taxpayers for potential future losses, calling the move a gesture to resolve a months-long impasse among the insurer, the Taipei City Government and the US chip giant. “The decision was made on the condition that the Taipei City Government reimburses the related
FRESH LOOK: A committee would gather expert and public input on the themes and visual motifs that would appear on the notes, the central bank governor said The central bank has launched a comprehensive redesign of New Taiwan dollar banknotes to enhance anti-counterfeiting measures, improve accessibility and align the bills with global sustainability standards, Governor Yang Chin-long (楊金龍) told a meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday. The overhaul would affect all five denominations — NT$100, NT$200, NT$500, NT$1,000 and NT$2,000 notes — but not coins, Yang said. It would be the first major update to the banknotes in 24 years, as the current series, introduced in 2001, has remained in circulation amid rapid advances in printing technology and security standards. “Updating the notes is essential to safeguard the integrity
RSS