Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Central Standing Committee member Chiang Shuo-ping (江碩平) yesterday demanded a provisional party congress be held to review whether the party’s presidential candidate, Hung Shiu-chu (洪秀柱), should be replaced, dealing a severe blow to Hung’s campaign and further fueling rumors of division within the party over Hung’s candidacy.
KMT sources were yesterday cited by a TVBS report as saying that the most recent poll conducted by the KMT indicated that Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) approval rating had soared to a record level of 45 percent, while Hung’s rating had plummeted to 13 percent.
Anonymous party members said Hung’s support rating was critically low and might severely damage the KMT’s standing in next year’s legislative elections.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Chiang yesterday said he planned to propose that the party hold a provisional party congress at a Central Standing Committee meeting on Wednesday.
KMT sources added that “more than half” of the Central Standing Committee members supported convening a provisional party congress to address the issue of Hung’s candidacy.
In response to media queries on the possibility of party members proposing a withdrawal of Hung’s candidacy, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) earlier yesterday said KMT members are free to “communicate” their opinions via all available channels, adding that party solidarity would be preserved as long as “all come to an agreement.”
In related news, a high-level unnamed KMT source was quoted by the Chinese-language United Daily News as saying yesterday that Hung should not advocate “ultimate unification with China,” because it is not supported by mainstream Taiwanese public opinion.
In a radio interview on Friday Hung said the Republic of China Constitution “calls for ultimate unification with China.”
She said that President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) stances on the so-called “1992 consensus,” the maintenance of the “status quo,” and “one China, different interpretations,” and “no unification, no independence and no use of force” have “accomplished their medium-term goals,” and that there should now be “political dialogue with China” concerning unification.
Hung had previously advocated the idea of “one China, same interpretation,” only to see her approval rating tank, compelling Hung to “return” to Ma’s standpoints, the source was quoted as saying in the report, who added that Hung “should remember this lesson.”
The “1992 consensus” refers to a supposed tacit understanding between the KMT and Beijing that both sides agree there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Hung “is a KMT candidate” who should “ground [her] cross-strait narrative on KMT policies,” or risk the “profound disappointment” of Ma and the party, the source was quoted by the United Daily News as saying.
Hung should “take the initiative” and demand that Tsai, who has said maintaining the “status quo” is the DPP’s policy, clarify how she would define “status quo” and how it would be maintained, the source said.
Additional reporting by Lee Ya-wen
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
WARFARE: All sectors of society should recognize, unite, and collectively resist and condemn Beijing’s cross-border suppression, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said The number of Taiwanese detained because of legal affairs by Chinese authorities has tripled this year, as Beijing intensified its intimidation and division of Taiwanese by combining lawfare and cognitive warfare, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) made the statement in response to questions by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈柏洋) about the government’s response to counter Chinese public opinion warfare, lawfare and psychological warfare. Shen said he is also being investigated by China for promoting “Taiwanese independence.” He was referring to a report published on Tuesday last week by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency,
‘ADDITIONAL CONDITION’: Taiwan will work with like-minded countries to protect its right to participate in next year’s meeting, the foreign ministry said The US will “continue to press China for security arrangements and protocols that safeguard all participants when attending APEC meetings in China,” a US Department of State spokesperson said yesterday, after Beijing suggested that members must adhere to its “one China principle” to participate. “The United States insists on the full and equal participation of all APEC member economies — including Taiwan — consistent with APEC’s guidelines, rules and established practice, as affirmed by China in its offer to host in 2026,” the unnamed spokesperson said in response to media queries about China putting a “one China” principle condition on Taiwan’s
RSS