The TSU's lackluster showing in the two city elections has neither hurt the popularity of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) nor affected his sense of mission for Taiwan.
Many in politics have speculated that Lee may avoid public appearances for a while following the TSU's poor performance, but that doesn't appear to be the case.
The party nominated seven city councilor candidates each in Taipei and Kaohsiung. But only two, in Kaohsiung, were elected in the Dec. 7 polls.
A founding ceremony for the Japanese branch of the friends of Lee Teng-hui association on Sunday demonstrated Lee's influence in Japan as more than 1,500 Japanese were present at the event.
This Saturday, the ex-president is expected to appear at a book-release ceremony to introduce National Directions -- a book that he has been working on since his retirement two years ago.
Tsai Ming-hua (
The book is divided into 10 parts, with separate sections on national identity, national defense, foreign affairs, China issues, education, culture, science and technology, economy and environment.
Lee has said that the most serious crisis Taiwan faces is that its people do not recognize Taiwan as their country and that there are no clear national goals.
To provide Taiwan with clear guidelines, Lee said he has been working on this book with the assistance of academics, specialists and officials.
Lee's influence is not limited to Taiwan. Two days ago, the first overseas branch for the friends of Lee Teng-hui association was founded in Tokyo as more than 1,500 Japanese attended the ceremony.
Although Lee could not be there in person, he spoke about "the spirit of Taiwan and the spirit of Japan," in a televised broadcast.
Highly respected by many Japanese, Lee called upon the Japanese to strive to regain bushido -- the term for chivalry in ancient times -- and to build confidence and to exert more influence in Asia.
"I am willing to contribute my remaining life to Taiwan, and so am I willing to cheer for Japan during my remaining days," Lee said. Both President Chen Shui-bian (
Whereas Chen wished the organization would serve as a channel to beef up relations between Taiwan and Japan, Lu urged the Japanese government to sign a free trade agreement with Taiwan.
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard