Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan's (連戰) TV spots for his presidential bid will focus on his love for Taiwan, party spokesman Justin Chou (周守訓) said. \nThe advertisements will feature the nation's prominent scenic spots. \n"By bringing these prominent local sites into view with Lien, we want to highlight Lien's connection with people, his care and love for them, and his determination to develop Taiwan," Chou said. \nRunning on a joint ticket with People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) in next March's presidential election, Lien filmed his first campaign spot on Sunday in his hometown of Tainan. \nThe piece was filmed at the Eternal Fortress, a popular historic site. \nThe fortress, located in the Anping district of Tainan, was built in 1876 on the order of Ching dynasty Fujian maritime commissioner, Shen Bao-zhen (沈葆禎) to bolster Tainan's costal defenses against Japanese aggression. \nAgainst the backdrop of the site, Lien said Tainan is a historic city. \n"If necessary, I want to take the filming to other parts of Taiwan for retrospection ? to let people know the past, present as well as future prospects of the place," he said. \nAccording to the KMT, choosing Tainan as the first location for Lien's campaign spots "puts an emphasis on the close connection between the people and the land as well as symbolizes that Lien is setting out from his hometown vying for voters' support and recognition." \nAccording to the party's Cultural and Communications Affairs Committee, the TV ad is slated to air on Oct. 25, Retrocession Day. Retrocession Day marks Taiwan's handover to Chinese rule in 1945 after half a century of Japanese occupation. \nThe committee was tight-lipped other filming locations.
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT: A US Air Force KC-135 tanker came less than 1,000 feet of an EVA plane and was warned off by a Taipei air traffic controller, a report said A US aerial refueling aircraft came very close to an EVA Airways jet in the airspace over southern Taiwan, a military aviation news Web site said. A report published by Alert 5 on Tuesday said that automatic dependent surveillance–broadcast (ADS-B) data captured by planfinder.net on Wednesday last week showed a US Air Force KC-135 tanker “coming less than 1,000 feet [305m] vertically with EVA Air flight BR225 as both aircraft crossed path south of Taiwan” that morning. The report included an audio recording of a female controller from the Taipei air traffic control center telling the unidentified aircraft that it was
A US aircraft carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt has entered the South China Sea to promote “freedom of the seas,” the US military said yesterday, as tensions between China and Taiwan raise concerns in Washington. US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that the strike group entered the South China Sea on Saturday, the same day Taiwan reported a large incursion of Chinese bombers and fighter jets into its air defense identification zone near the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島). The US military said the carrier strike group was in the South China Sea, a large part of which
STRATEGIC MISTAKE: Beijing’s deployment of aircraft near Taiwan proves the ‘China threat theory’ that sees it attempting to destabilize the region, an analyst said China on Saturday and yesterday sent a record number of military aircraft into the nation’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), in what analysts said was an attempt to flex its military might for US President Joe Biden. Thirteen Chinese warplanes flew into Taiwan’s southwestern ADIZ on Saturday and 15 entered yesterday, the highest number observed in a single day this year, the Ministry of National Defense said. On Saturday, eight Xian H-6K bombers, four Shenyang J-16 fighters and a Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft, entered the ADIZ, while yesterday there were two Y-8s, two Su-30s, four J-16s, six J-10 fighters and a Y-8 reconnaissance
DISPOSING MYTHS: A new constitution would better reflect reality, as the current one was drafted ‘in and for China,’ without the consent of Taiwanese, advocates said Independence advocates yesterday launched the Taiwan New Constitution Alliance to promote drafting a new, localized constitution. “This is a historic moment for Taiwan. Drafting a new constitution is the most important task Taiwanese face,” veteran independence advocate Koo Kwang-ming (辜寬敏) said at the inaugural event in Taipei. “Although the Democratic Progressive Party is in power, its authority is based on the Republic of China [ROC] Constitution, which has no connection to Taiwan,” said the 95-year-old Koo, a former presidential adviser. “The historic task of drafting a new constitution depends on efforts by all Taiwanese,” Koo said. “A constitution for a sovereign, independent Taiwan