Charged with misconduct while running in the DPP's legislative primary, advisor to the Cabinet Charles Chiang (
"The premier said he would wait for the Ministry of Finance's investigation report before coming up with a comprehensive decision [on Chiang's resignation]," government spokesman Su Tzen-ping (
Su confirmed to reporters that Chiang had met with the premier earlier yesterday morning, adding that Chiang had said in public that he hoped to step down from all his positions, including those as an advisor to the Cabinet and board member of both First Commercial Bank (第一銀行) and China Airlines (華航).
According to Vice Minister of Finance Sean Chen (
Chiang, in addition, triggered a controversy over how he could hold four official positions simultaneously and get paid allowances that exceeded limitations.
Having been a former member of the National Assembly, Chiang was once a director of the Budget Center at the DPP's legislative caucus. He, therefore, had originally planned to hold a press conference yesterday morning at the Legislative Yuan, but canceled because DPP legislative whip Chou Po-lun (周伯倫) refused to let him use the party's meeting room.
"I look forward to Chiang's resignations in response to public discontent, however, I also wish him the best of luck in running for public office," Chou said yesterday afternoon.
DPP legislator Tsai Huang-liang (
Chiang, however, has kept a low-profile and avoided speaking publicly. His staff even said they had lost contact with him. He also failed to inform them of his resignation.
Commenting on Chiang's case, DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday said that he believed Chiang had made a minor mistake by asking "a personal favor" from his colleague Chen.
"Chiang was negligent. This is definitely not DPP policy. I don't think it's fair to say this case involves party corruption," Hsieh said while having tea with reporters yesterday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (
Beijing’s continued provocations in the Taiwan Strait reveal its intention to unilaterally change the “status quo” in the area, the US Department of State said on Saturday, calling for a peaceful resolution to cross-strait issues. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) reported that four China Coast Guard patrol vessels entered restricted and prohibited waters near Kinmen County on Friday and again on Saturday. A State Department spokesperson said that Washington was aware of the incidents, and urged all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from unilaterally changing the “status quo.” “Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is in line with our [the
EXTENDED RANGE: Hsiung Sheng missiles, 100 of which might be deployed by the end of the year, could reach Chinese command posts and airport runways, a source said A NT$16.9 billion (US$534.93 million) project to upgrade the military’s missile defense systems would be completed this year, allowing the deployment of at least 100 long-range Hsiung Sheng missiles and providing more deterrence against China, military sources said on Saturday. Hsiung Sheng missiles are an extended-range version of the Hsiung Feng IIE (HF-2E) surface-to-surface cruise missile, and are believed to have a range of up to 1,200km, which would allow them to hit targets well inside China. They went into mass production in 2022, the sources said. The project is part of a special budget for the Ministry of National Defense aimed at
READY TO WORK: Taiwan is eager to cooperate and is hopeful that like-minded states will continue to advocate for its inclusion in regional organizations, Lai said Maintaining the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region must be a top priority, president-elect William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after meeting with a delegation of US academics. Leaders of the G7, US President Joe Biden and other international heads of state have voiced concerns about the situation in the Strait, as stability in the region is necessary for a safe, peaceful and prosperous world, Lai said. The vice president, who is to be inaugurated in May, welcomed the delegation and thanked them for their support for Taiwan and issues concerning the Strait. The international community
COOPERATION: Two crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank off Kinmen were rescued, two were found dead and another two were still missing at press time The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) was yesterday working with Chinese rescuers to find two missing crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank southwest of Kinmen County yesterday, killing two crew. The joint operation managed to rescue two of the boat’s six crewmembers, but two were already dead when they were pulled from the water, the agency said in a statement. Rescuers are still searching for two others from the Min Long Yu 61222, a boat registered in China’s Fujian Province that capsized and sank 1.03 nautical miles (1.9km) southwest of Dongding Island (東碇), it added. CGA Director-General Chou Mei-wu (周美伍) told a