Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) yesterday said he would not travel to the US in his capacity as the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, citing a busy campaign schedule at home in the run-up to the Jan. 11 election.
Han made the announcement on the sidelines of a campaign event in Pingtung County yesterday afternoon.
Visiting the US would take at least two weeks and with the presidential election only 84 days away, he is under enormous time pressure, as he has several campaign destinations in Taiwan proper, as well as in Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, Han said.
Photo: Wang Jung-hsiang, Taipei Times
His campaign team had to reluctantly leave out a US trip so he could engage more grassroots voters in Taiwan, Han said.
However, he would visit the US if the opportunity arises after the election, he said, adding that he promised American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman James Moriarty that he would.
Han on Wednesday began a three-month break from his mayoral duties to campaign for the presidency, but he canceled his leave yesterday to meet with Moriarty at the Kaohsiung City Government.
Han thanked Moriarty for traveling all the way from the US to Taipei and then to Kaohsiung.
He said that the new clothes he was wearing symbolized a joyful mood.
Han told Moriarty that the US is Taiwan’s most important and unwavering ally.
Moriarty said the warm hospitality he receives in Taiwan reflects the robust bilateral relationship and reiterated that ties are at their best since the US’ Taiwan Relations Act was signed 40 years ago.
The meeting was open to the media for the first 10 minutes before doors were closed for a private session, which was attended by other city government officials, academics and advisers from Han’s national policy team.
Separately, sources from Han’s campaign team said that a visit to the US might not necessarily have benefited Han, as there are concerns that the diplomatic apparatus of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration might engage in “petty actions.”
Han might have been given “a hard time” in the US, although the hospitality there might have appeared no less than what is afforded a politician from the pan-green camp, the sources said.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiao-kuang and Hsu li-chuan
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
RSS