The 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally, that received overwhelming support nationwide on Saturday, could secure President Chen Shui-bian's (
Support for the rally, in which up to 2 million people held hands across the length of the country to protest China's missile threat, has not only created a new milestone for Taiwan's democratic development but has also boosted Chen's electoral prospects.
DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (
Chang said that since the two presidential debates were held, Chen's support rate has already began to show signs of exceeding that of his rival, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
The party said it predicted that the event would boost the party's support, with internal opinion polls showing increasing public approval as Feb. 28 approached.
Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), director of the public affairs department of the DPP's campaign headquarters, said: "The 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally is indeed an important clincher in Chen's re-election bid. Before the rally, Chen's support rate was slightly behind the blue camp's Lien-Soong ticket. However, after the rally, we will see a jump in Chen's support."
Cheng said the event also sent an important message that "Taiwan is not China."
"The tremendous people power we saw demonstrates the people's consciousness in coming together when facing China's military threat," Cheng said.
To keep this momentum, the DPP campaign headquarters has planned 45 medium and large campaign activities from now till the election. It said that from today, there would be at least two campaign rallies each day, rising to four a day during the last 10 days of the campaign.
Cheng said the DPP hoped to remind people of the passion of the 228 rally and transform such feelings into support for Chen.
Wu Shu-ming (
The event not only demonstrated the will of Taiwanese people to China and to the international com-munity, it also strengthened the confidence of Taiwanese people to be proud of having a unique national identity separate from China, Wu said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS