Although most DPP heavyweights have suggested the party's presidential candidate, Chen Shui-bian (
DPP leaders said yesterday that party polls show that a Chen-Lu ticket would garner more votes than any other possible combination. At the same time, Chen has yet to succeed in wooing potential candidates from outside the party whom he has indicated he would prefer.
"Tainan City mayor Mark Chen (陳唐山), and former Chiayi County commissioner Chang Po-ya (
Chen went on to point out that Lu has greatly contributed to promoting Taiwan's position in the international community, which could help Chen to mitigate criticism from those who say he lacks international savvy.
"As an eloquent speaker and a prominent woman politician, Lu is a better choice than any other party member," Chen Chi-mai stressed.
However, other party faction leaders disagreed yesterday, saying Chen should not limit his choice to just a select few within the party.
"If Chen really goes back to finding a running mate inside the DPP, it reveals that Chen is facing trouble in making a breakthrough. As far as I know, Chen has yet to make a final decision," said Wu Nai-jen (吳乃仁), a National Assembly deputy and a member of the DPP central standing committee.
Wu and Chiou I-jen (
DPP lawmaker Chien Hsi-chieh emphasized that Chen is still consulting with DPP leaders about his running mate, and has still not given up on the idea of finding someone from business or academic circles.
"We can only say that Lu has more chance of being chosen right now," Chien said.
Although a number of senior party members appear to be balking at the idea, Chen looks very much as if he is heading in a fixed direction.
"Chen does have a designated choice. And some party heavyweights are insisting that Chen publicize his choice as soon as possible, if he has decided to select a party member," said DPP spokesman Lo Wei-chia (
Others in the DPP have suggested that Lu is not easy to negotiate with, as she is very opinionated and tends to dominate her dealings with others.
Lu herself, meanwhile, said yesterday that she was glad to contribute her ability in helping the DPP win the presidential election, and she appealed to the party to allow Chen to make his decision without rushing.
"We should give Chen more space to consider things," Lu said.
One member of Chen's campaign office added yesterday that Chen Shui-bian planned to announce his running mate before mid-October.
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
A US uncrewed surface vessel (USV) encountered multiple Chinese warships during an autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait, US defense company Seasats said in a statement on Wednesday. Seasats announced that a Lightfish USV had completed the first autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait. Over five days, the USV traversed the entire length of the Strait while constantly monitoring surface vessel traffic, the company said. The Lightfish encountered multiple Chinese warships, one of which was a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 056 corvette, it said. The Chinese vessels were operating “well within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone without transmitting their identity via the
‘BOOMING’: ’ The number of partners we have here is incredible. You can see from their stock prices. They’re doing so well, they’re so happy,’ Jensen Huang said Nvidia Corp’s spending in Taiwan has ballooned to about US$150 billion a year, 10 times the US$10 billion to US$15 billion the company spent five years ago, Nvidia chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said yesterday, suggesting Taiwan’s strategic importance in the global artificial intelligence (AI) supply chain. “Taiwan is the epicenter of the AI revolution. This is where the chips come, packaging comes. This is where the systems are made. This is where AI supercomputers were created,” Huang said at a meeting for the company’s employees in Beitou-Shilin Technology Park (北投士林科技園區) in Taipei, the planned site of Nvidia’s Taipei headquarters. “Taiwan
GREATER REACH? Auto parts and wood products would face tariffs of up to 15%, matching those targeting the EU, Japan and South Korea, Vice Premier said The US has announced that preferential tariff treatment for Taiwan’s non-semiconductor Section 232 goods would take effect retroactively from May 1, the Executive Yuan said yesterday. The US government yesterday posted a notice on the Federal Register’s public inspection Web site previewing tariff concessions for Taiwan under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Taiwan-US investment after two months of negotiations. The MOU signed on Jan. 15 stipulated three major preferential tariff arrangements: a 15 percent “reciprocal” tariff rate for Taiwan without stacking most-favored nation (MFN) rates; preferential Section 232 treatment for semiconductors and related products; and preferential Section 232 treatment for non-semiconductor
RSS