Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
"From the KMT's perspective, the case is over," Lien said, noting that the judicial investigation into the case had been concluded and that the KMT had decided to drop all of its allegations against Soong.
Lien made the remarks at a press conference at CKS International Airport upon his return from a trip to Europe and the US yesterday morning.
PHOTO: TONY YAO, TAIPEI TIMES
Soong was at the press conference, as were KMT vice chairmen Wang Jin-pyng (
The Chung Hsing Bills Finance scandal began in December 1999 when then KMT legislator Yang Chi-hsiung (
During the 2000 presidential election campaign the KMT used the case to attack and discredit Soong, who was running as an independent against Lien and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Chen Shui-bian (
This February, the KMT drop-ped all embezzlement allegations against Soong, saying that the allegations had "all been a result of misunderstanding."
At the time, political observers said the KMT was trying to clear Soong's name as a peace offering to the PFP leader to get him to agree to run as vice president on a joint ticket with Lien next year.
"I hope the whole fuss will just come to a halt given that the case no longer exists," Lien said at yesterday's press conference.
The scandal returned to the headlines last week, however, when former president Lee Teng-hui (
Soong said last Friday that he was willing to confront Lee over his accusations that Soong had embezzled KMT funds.
"The case had now become a political case," Soong said, accusing the DPP of reopening the case to attack him ahead of next year's election.
Lien also told the press conference that the "one China" policy he advocates refers to the Republic of China.
"Based on the principle that the `one China' is the Republic of China, it is the fundamental strategic weapon for cross-strait peace," he said.
He did not elaborate further, but he did accuse Chen of not respecting the Constitution.
Commenting on the demonstration staged last Saturday by the DPP to back calls for a referendum law and for the drafting of a new constitution, Lien, said the KMT had never been against the holding of referendums.
However, he said a referendum "ought to be designed so it could only be initiated by the people and not by the government."
"If the government can at any time initiate the holding of a referendum on any issues, then what's the point of a government," he said.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
RSS