KMT presidential candidate Lien Chan (連戰) yesterday campaigned in Hsinchu County (新竹縣), one of the country's major Hakka regions, to solicit votes from the Hakka community.
While on the stump, Lien pledged that if elected he would work to set up a museum of Hakka culture and a special committee to deal with Hakka affairs. Referring to independent presidential candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜), but not mentioning him by name, Lien called on the public not to cast votes for "a heartless person, who has showed his lack of faith in his country by remitting all his money overseas and who has turned against the KMT which once nurtured him."
In another jab at Soong, Lien said: "A self-righteous candidate said that I have never promoted Hakka people [in the government, but it's not true]."
Lien said he had elevated numerous Hakka politicians such as former KMT and Presidential Office secretary-general Wu Po-hsiung (吳伯雄) and chairperson of the Council of Sports Affairs Chao Li-Yun (趙麗雲).
Lien was accompanied by several Hakka political figures, including former Council of Agriculture chairman Peng Tso-kwei (彭作奎) and KMT lawmakers Cheng Yung-chin (鄭永金) and Chiu Ching-chun (邱鏡淳).
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
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