John Chang (
His alleged affair with a former TV actress Wang Hsiao-chan (王筱蟬) is bound to dog Chang on the campaign trail, as Wang has long made clear her intention to seek a legislative seat as an independent from the same district.
Flanked by his wife Huang Mei-lun (黃美倫) and physically challenged celebrities, Chang showed up at the KMT's Taipei chapter to register his candidacy at 10am. Scores of supporters stood outside the venue chanting, "Chang, go, go, go."
"I will put in a good fight to win the opportunity to serve the country and the people," Chang said.
In December 1999, Chang stepped down as presidential secretary-general after admitting to an extramarital affair. Regretting the scandal as "the biggest mistake of my life," Chang has since shunned the limelight.
Chang said the respite provided him with an opportunity to get in touch with the grassroots and understand their needs.
Chang, the illegitimate son of the late president Chiang Ching-kuo (
As of yesterday evening, a total of 12 KMT members have applied to place their name on the primary ballot. The largest opposition party is expected to nominate three or four candidates to vie for legislative seats in the southern district of the capital city.
Chang said he believed his political credentials would distinguish him from rivals inside and outside the party. He was a career diplomat and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1996 and 1997 before becoming vice premier and later KMT secretary-general. If elected, Chang said he is will focus on promoting cross-strait ties as well as the welfare of the handicapped.
Wang, his alleged mistress, has opened her campaign headquarters in the same district where Chang is planning his political comeback.
In an interview with a local cable TV station, Wang said a wealthy businessman has promised to finance her venture.
She has flatly denied any romantic involvement with Chang and has pressed a libel suit against a Chinese language newspaper for naming her in the sex scandal.
‘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
Taiwan is still in the process of assessing the possibility of recruiting workers from Eswatini, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, adding that its goal is to help Eswatini upgrade its vocational training centers. If there are plans to recruit workers from Eswatini, safeguarding national security, protecting public health and ensuring the employment rights of Taiwanese would be prerequisites, Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Yen Chia-liang (顏嘉良) told a news conference. Key considerations would also include filling labor shortages in specific industries, and fostering bilateral professional and technical exchanges, he said. Yen was asked about the progress of labor
The nation’s usually punctual high-speed rail system yesterday was hit by major disruptions after all scheduled services were canceled and replaced with three hourly trains offering only non-reserved seating, affecting more than 200,000 passengers. Preliminary findings indicate the disruption was caused by a faulty power module in a track switch control cabinet, Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) said, adding that as a full system inspection could only be conducted after operations end for the day, a decision on whether normal service would resume today would be announced before the first train departs. During a routine inspection early yesterday, a switch signal abnormality
RSS