Doubts over whether the People First Party (PFP) can extend its political territory within the Legislative Yuan have been temporarily silenced, as former KMT legislator Wang Tein-ging (
His acceptance within the new party brings its representation in the legislature, currently the third largest caucus, to 19.
But critics said the newly founded party's objective -- to lure at least 40 legislators to unite under its banner -- will be difficult to achieve in the short term.
Wang, a veteran KMT member of 35 years and a strong representative of the party's constituency of retired soldiers, told reporters yesterday that it was his "disappointment with the prospect of internal reform within the KMT" that drove him to leave the party for the PFP.
Asked if his departure was triggered by concerns of winning the next legislative election -- prospects of which have diminished in the wake of defections from the KMT -- Wang scoffed at the idea.
"I find such a suggestion derogatory," Wang, now serving his fourth term, said.
PFP legislative caucus spokesman Liu Wen-hsiung (
Liu and his counterparts welcomed Wang during a caucus meeting yesterday.
Liu called Wang "a professional legislator who knows a lot about national defense issues," adding that Wang's entry was "an asset" to the PFP legislative caucus.
PFP legislative caucus rules state that any entry into the group requires the consent of at least half of the existing members. Such regulations, said analysts, were designed to keep out legislators the consensus deems inappropriate.
"It aims to retain the image of the newly founded party as being pure and fresh," said Wu Tung-yeh (
Although PFP legislators hoped to lure up to 40 others to join them, Wu said uncertainty over the KMT's internal reforms, as well as the development of the new party, would make such an objective impossible to reach -- at least in the short run.
"The PFP's expectations to attract up to 40 legislators were perhaps based on the assumption that the KMT would split soon after its loss in the presidential election, catalyzed by internal disputes over how to reform the party," Wu said.
"But as the KMT is still groping its way toward reform, those legislators with a PFP defection in mind could defer their attempts to jump ship. So it will be difficult for the PFP to attract 40 legislators to join the party in the short run," he added.
Following the establishment of the PFP's legislative caucus on April 7, Wang's defection from the KMT brings to two the number of legislators that have jumped ship. He joins former New Party legislator Lee Ching-hua (
Nvidia Corp yesterday unveiled its new high-speed interconnect technology, NVLink Fusion, with Taiwanese application-specific IC (ASIC) designers Alchip Technologies Ltd (世芯) and MediaTek Inc (聯發科) among the first to adopt the technology to help build semi-custom artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure for hyperscalers. Nvidia has opened its technology to outside users, as hyperscalers and cloud service providers are building their own cost-effective AI chips, or accelerators, used in AI servers by leveraging ASIC firms’ designing capabilities to reduce their dependence on Nvidia. Previously, NVLink technology was only available for Nvidia’s own AI platform. “NVLink Fusion opens Nvidia’s AI platform and rich ecosystem for
WARNING: From Jan. 1 last year to the end of last month, 89 Taiwanese have gone missing or been detained in China, the MAC said, urging people to carefully consider travel to China Lax enforcement had made virtually moot regulations banning civil servants from making unauthorized visits to China, the Control Yuan said yesterday. Several agencies allowed personnel to travel to China after they submitted explanations for the trip written using artificial intelligence or provided no reason at all, the Control Yuan said in a statement, following an investigation headed by Control Yuan member Lin Wen-cheng (林文程). The probe identified 318 civil servants who traveled to China without permission in the past 10 years, but the true number could be close to 1,000, the Control Yuan said. The public employees investigated were not engaged in national
CAUSE AND EFFECT: China’s policies prompted the US to increase its presence in the Indo-Pacific, and Beijing should consider if this outcome is in its best interests, Lai said China has been escalating its military and political pressure on Taiwan for many years, but should reflect on this strategy and think about what is really in its best interest, President William Lai (賴清德) said. Lai made the remark in a YouTube interview with Mindi World News that was broadcast on Saturday, ahead of the first anniversary of his presidential inauguration tomorrow. The US has clearly stated that China is its biggest challenge and threat, with US President Donald Trump and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth repeatedly saying that the US should increase its forces in the Indo-Pacific region
ALL TOGETHER: Only by including Taiwan can the WHA fully exemplify its commitment to ‘One World for Health,’ the representative offices of eight nations in Taiwan said The representative offices in Taiwan of eight nations yesterday issued a joint statement reiterating their support for Taiwan’s meaningful engagement with the WHO and for Taipei’s participation as an observer at the World Health Assembly (WHA). The joint statement came as Taiwan has not received an invitation to this year’s WHA, which started yesterday and runs until Tuesday next week. This year’s meeting of the decisionmaking body of the WHO in Geneva, Switzerland, would be the ninth consecutive year Taiwan has been excluded. The eight offices, which reaffirmed their support for Taiwan, are the British Office Taipei, the Australian Office Taipei, the
RSS