Disregarding a mist of rain as well as a cold front, People First Party (PFP) presidential candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜) was yesterday determined to do all in his power to canvass votes for the PFP and its legislative candidates.
Earlier yesterday morning, during a campaign stop at the Lugang Tianhou Temple in Changhua County’s Lugang Township (鹿港), Soong accepted every opportunity to sign his autograph and have his photograph taken with supporters in order to promote his party and presidential bid.
Soong said that he was the safest presidential choice for Taiwan and that citizens could rest assured that if he were elected president, cross-strait conflict would not resume and Taiwan would retain its democratic liberties.
Photo: Liu Hsiao-hsin, Taipei Times
Soong also revealed that he had been contacted by the US government and that he would also receive a visit from US officials.
He said that the nation must let the US know that it would stay on the middle path by electing a stable and solid head of state.
“Such a leader would play a role in maintaining the careful balance existing between the US, Japan and China, as well as offering to be a buffer,” Soong said.
He said that by “buffer” he meant that Taiwan would be an anchor in terms of geopolitics, adding that it should also act as a buffer against time and change.
The ongoing changes in China cannot assuage Taiwanese concerns, Soong said, adding that this concern is why Taiwan should maintain its status as a free democracy.
When asked about the 18 parties vying for voters’ support in the legislator-at-large vote, Soong said he was confident the PFP’s votes would not be scattered.
However, the number of competing political parties highlights problems in Taiwan’s political system, Soong said.
The Chinese National Party (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party should not overshadow the plurality of opinions in Taiwanese society, Soong said, adding that should he be elected into office, he would seek to negotiate with the heads of the parties.
There are many aspects in the current system that should be tweaked, he said.
Later yesterday, Soong headed to Beidou Township (北斗) to campaign alongside PFP legislative candidate Chen Chao-jung (陳朝容).
Both men stuck to their campaign plan, despite heavy rain during the last leg of the event.
Soong wrapped up the night with a large rally in Taipei, touting his competence and administrative experiences as a leader of state who is able to hold the steering wheel steadily.
Two US House of Representatives committees yesterday condemned China’s attempt to orchestrate a crash involving Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s (蕭美琴) car when she visited the Czech Republic last year as vice president-elect. Czech local media in March last year reported that a Chinese diplomat had run a red light while following Hsiao’s car from the airport, and Czech intelligence last week told local media that Chinese diplomats and agents had also planned to stage a demonstrative car collision. Hsiao on Saturday shared a Reuters news report on the incident through her account on social media platform X and wrote: “I
SHIFT PRIORITIES: The US should first help Taiwan respond to actions China is already taking, instead of focusing too heavily on deterring a large-scale invasion, an expert said US Air Force leaders on Thursday voiced concerns about the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) missile capabilities and its development of a “kill web,” and said that the US Department of Defense’s budget request for next year prioritizes bolstering defenses in the Indo-Pacific region due to the increasing threat posed by China. US experts said that a full-scale Chinese invasion of Taiwan is risky and unlikely, with Beijing more likely to pursue coercive tactics such as political warfare or blockades to achieve its goals. Senior air force and US Space Force leaders, including US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and
‘BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS’: The US military’s aim is to continue to make any potential Chinese invasion more difficult than it already is, US General Ronald Clark said The likelihood of China invading Taiwan without contest is “very, very small” because the Taiwan Strait is under constant surveillance by multiple countries, a US general has said. General Ronald Clark, commanding officer of US Army Pacific (USARPAC), the US Army’s largest service component command, made the remarks during a dialogue hosted on Friday by Washington-based think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Asked by the event host what the Chinese military has learned from its US counterpart over the years, Clark said that the first lesson is that the skill and will of US service members are “unmatched.” The second
Czech officials have confirmed that Chinese agents surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to Prague in March 2024 and planned a collision with her car as part of an “unprecedented” provocation by Beijing in Europe. Czech Military Intelligence learned that their Chinese counterparts attempted to create conditions to carry out a demonstrative incident involving Hsiao, which “did not go beyond the preparation stage,” agency director Petr Bartovsky told Czech Radio in a report yesterday. In addition, a Chinese diplomat ran a red light to maintain surveillance of the Taiwanese
RSS