Former president Lee Teng-hui (
The former president is scheduled to depart for Tokyo on Nov. 23 where he will be a guest speaker for Keio University, one of the nation's most prestigious schools, on the following day.
Lee is expected to deliver a one-hour speech entitled "the Spirit of Japan."
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Appearing at TSU headquarters yesterday to stump for the party's city councilor candidates, Lee told reporters he had not yet applied for a visa. He said he hoped the media would not exaggerate the importance of his trip because too many reports might hinder his plan.
"I will file my visa application when you [the reporters] are quiet," he said.
Lee's trips to Japan have always been a sensitive issue as China scorns Lee for trying to break Taiwan's diplomatic isolation during his 12 years in power. Beijing has warned Japan not to allow Lee to visit.
In April of last year, Lee was in Japan to undergo medial treatment for a heart ailment.
But his trip divided Japanese officials and his visa was not issued until the last minute after Lee mocked the nation by saying that "the guts of the Japanese government are as small as that of a mouse."
But TSU officials are optimistic about Lee's forthcoming trip later this month.
Chen Horng-chi (
Chen, the newly-appointed director for the TSU's organization department, said several Japanese congressmen and public opinion in Japan are supportive of Lee's trip.
Chen said he had questioned the Japanese Interchange Association in Taipei, whose officials said that Lee's visits to Japan always touch a political nerve.
The new TSU director noted that to express their sincerity, three Japanese students from Keio University had come to Taiwan last month to extend their invitation to the former president in person. The former president was said to be deeply moved by their sincerity.
Lee's trip has been arranged by Tokyo-based national policy adviser Alice King (金美齡).
King said last month, when she was in Taipei, that Lee would probably be allowed to visit Japan because the Japanese public is highly supportive of his visits.
‘NON-RED’: Taiwan and Ireland should work together to foster a values-driven, democratic economic system, leveraging their complementary industries, Lai said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed hopes for closer ties between Taiwan and Ireland, and that both countries could collaborate to create a values-driven, democracy-centered economic system. He made the remarks while meeting with an Irish cross-party parliamentary delegation visiting Taiwan. The delegation, led by John McGuinness, deputy speaker of the Irish house of representatives, known as the Dail, includes Irish lawmakers Malcolm Byrne, Barry Ward, Ken O’Flynn and Teresa Costello. McGuinness, who chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, is a friend of Taiwan, and under his leadership, the association’s influence has grown over the past few years, Lai said. Ireland is
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
A saleswoman, surnamed Chen (陳), earlier this month was handed an 18-month prison term for embezzling more than 2,000 pairs of shoes while working at a department store in Tainan. The Tainan District Court convicted Chen of embezzlement in a ruling on July 7, sentencing her to prison for illegally profiting NT$7.32 million (US$248,929) at the expense of her employer. Chen was also given the opportunity to reach a financial settlement, but she declined. Chen was responsible for the sales counter of Nike shoes at Tainan’s Shinkong Mitsukoshi Zhongshan branch, where she had been employed since October 2019. She had previously worked
The Taipei District Court today ruled to extend the incommunicado detention of former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying (應曉薇) for two more months as part of an ongoing corruption trial. Codefendants in the case — real-estate tycoon Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) and Ko's former mayoral office head Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗) — were granted bail of NT$100 million (US$3.4 million) and NT$20 million respectively. Sheen and Lee would also be barred from leaving the country for eight months and prohibited from contact with, harassing, threatening or inquiring after the case with codefendants or witnesses. The two would also be