Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
"The cooperation between the KMT and the PFP is an `alliance of blood and iron,'" Lien said, using a Chinese idiom meaning firm and unshakable.
Lien made the remarks upon his arrival yesterday from New York. Lien was in the US to attend a memorial service for former first lady Soong Mayling (
Scores of KMT and PFP officials, including Soong, were at CKS International Airport to welcome Lien.
Lien said that the alliance between the KMT and the PFP and the pairing of Soong and himself on a joint ticket were decisions made not to serve personal interests but for the sake of the future of Taiwan's 23 million people.
The two parties would not allow the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to drive a wedge between them, he said.
Soong said his commitment to the alliance was solid and that he "will follow Lien's ideals all the way to the end."
The suggestion that Lien dump Soong came as the pan-blue ticket seemed to be losing the advantage it had held in opinion polls since Lien and Soong formalized their pairing in April.
A poll released by the Chinese-language daily China Times on Thursday showed President Chen Shui-bian (
Other polls suggested that Chen was narrowing the gap on his pan-blue challengers.
Lien attempted to play down the significance of the polls.
"Whether polls show that the Lien-Soong ticket is leading or lagging, they are there just for reference," Lien said, adding that the KMT-PFP alliance would not be disturbed by these polls and would continue to run a "high-quality" campaign.
But he nevertheless said that his alliance's campaign strategy could be adjusted as the election draws near to boost voter support.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese