Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday said that former vice president Lien Chan’s (連戰) attendance at a Chinese military parade would be referred to the party’s disciplinary committee “for discussion.”
Responding to some KMT members’ call for disciplinary actions against Lien, who attended the military parade marking the end of World War II in Beijing on Thursday against the party’s wishes, Chu reiterated that the party was committed to upholding the truth about the Republic of China government’s role in the war and had instructed party officials not to attend the parade.
“As for some [retired] senior party officials and individual party members [who attended the parade], there are differing opinions within the party [about the issue]. Since the KMT is a democratic party, we will, in line with these opinions, have their cases referred to relevant units, such as the party’s Evaluation and Discipline Committee or the Central Standing Committee, for discussion,” Chu said.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
KMT Legislator Kung Wen-chi (孔文吉) on Thursday voiced his strong opposition to Lien’s actions, demanding that the party “impose disciplinary measures ... to demonstrate the party’s stance.”
He toned down his criticism yesterday, saying he did not want to elaborate on his views for fear of the consequences, but reiterated that party headquarters should take disciplinary action, the severity of which should be decided by party officials, to clarify the party’s stance.
KMT Legislator Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順), director of the party’s disciplinary committee, said the committee operates through a collegial model, so a decision would have to be made based on a consensus.
Photo: CNA
Lien returned to Taiwan late on Thursday and was met with protests from members of the Taiwan Solidarity Union Youth League and other pro-independence groups at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
Demonstrators held up banners that read: “Traitor Lien Chan” and “Lien is a Red Ghost,” shouted slogans such as “Lien has sold out his country” and demanded that his pensions be cut off.
The group clashed with the police when they tried to break through the cordon and someone attempted to throw a shoe at Lien. They were forced out of the terminal, where they held a press conference to continue their protests.
“Anyone has the right to kill” a traitor to the nation, they said, a play on Lien’s comments in 2004 when he said “anyone has the right to kill a cheat,” implying that former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) cheated and won in the wake of the election-eve shooting that year.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
BULLY TACTICS: Beijing has continued its incursions into Taiwan’s airspace even as Xi Jinping talked about Taiwan being part of the Chinese family and nation China should stop its coercion of Taiwan and respect mainstream public opinion in Taiwan about sovereignty if its expression of goodwill is genuine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) made the comment in response to media queries about a meeting between former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) the previous day. Ma voiced support for the so-called “1992 consensus,” while Xi said that although the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have “different systems,” this does not change the fact that they are “part of the same country,” and that “external
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source