Taipei Times: Previously, much of your work focused on promoting Taiwan in the international arena, but now you are running for the post of a local government head. What are the major differences for you?
Jason Hu: Actually both are the same -- they are about dealing with public affairs. Although in the diplomatic arena you pay great attention to protocol and the rules of the game, to present yourself successfully either in a formal diplomatic activity or in a local meeting with the general public, it is the human touch that you need to master.
TT: Your opponents criticize you as being "unfamiliar with local affairs." How do you respond to that criticism?
Hu: I was [Taiwan's] representative to the US and later foreign minister. I did these jobs not for my own benefit, but to safeguard Taiwan's security and dignity. Wouldn't it be strange if my efforts in Taiwan's foreign affairs win nationwide recognition but fail to gain the approval of Taichung City residents?
TT: If you are elected but then have opportunities to join the Cabinet or return to the central government, say, if the KMT wins in the next presidential election, what would your choices be?
Hu: I would stay [in Taichung] for at least four years and surely hope to win re-election. This is a contract with voters and also my commitment. I hope when I look back on my life, I will be able to say that I was once a good mayor, and not just a good minister.
TT: In the last Taichung mayoral election, one of the major factors of Chang Wen-ying's (
Hu: Basically, I still doubt whether factional defections were really the key factor in the KMT's loss. More importantly, Taichung City has evolved with an urban constituency structure, in which local factions do not control most votes.
These voters don't identify themselves with factions and don't affiliate themselves with political parties. Even the influence of political parties is declining remarkably. Most voters base their choice on individual candidates' qualifications instead of their party affiliation. I will not adopt traditional campaigning methods. But basically, the KMT is united this time.
TT: How about the effect of the People First Party's attitude toward the election?
Hu: While James Soong (宋楚瑜) got the most votes, 220,000, in Taichung City, outshining other candidates in last year's presidential election, the PFP should not indulge in the myth that all those votes will automatically transfer to the PFP in the year-end elections.
I think that the PFP's best strategy is to maintain an ambiguous attitude. If they insist on coarsely nominating some heavyweight to join the election, it will only tarnish Mr. Soong's image, instead of drawing more supporters [for his party].
TT: You've put forth plans for the city to have an international dimension and you advocate "integrating Taichung City into the Asia Pacific economic market." How do you present this to Taichung City residents in plain language?
Hu: Residents in central Taiwan have always criticized the government for "tilting toward the north, ignoring the south and forgetting Taichung."
Now the people want Jason Hu for Taichung City because only with Jason Hu can the people of Taichung tell other people with pride that they also have a top mayor and that Taichung is on a par with Taipei and Kaohsiung.
That's why my campaign has a new slogan. It's "North Taiwan has Ma, the South has Hsieh, and central Taiwan needs Hu."
Besides, I have many international friends, who will all ask, "Where is Jason Hu?"
When they learn that minister Hu has become Mayor Hu, they will surely ask, "Where is Taichung City?" and they will want to visit and get to know Taichung.
Wouldn't this be the best way for Taichung to get on track with international society?
‘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