In December 1992, 51-year-old Taiwan-born Chen Che-nan (
Chen, born in 1941 and once an elementary school teacher, began his political career in the middle of the 1970s by serving as borough warden in Kaohsiung City. His strong Taiwan consciousness gradually grew more and more inconsistent with the viewpoints of the KMT. In 1992, he severely criticized senior KMT officials, such as former premier Hao Po-tsun (郝柏村), saying their sticking to the "One China" policy would eventually sell Taiwan out to China. He was expelled only 16 days prior to that year's legislative election. However, his image of a victim persecuted by the KMT and of a fighter for Taiwan's dignity won him a victory in the election in Kaohsiung City.
In 1993, Chen Che-nan was warmly welcomed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Back then, he would hardly have been able to imagine that he would be expelled 12 years later. And this time around, his disposal was processed in a more humiliating way.
PHOTO: CHANG CHUNG-YI, TAIPEI TIMES (SCREEN GRAB FROM TVBS)
Because of Chen Che-nan's alleged corruption in connection with the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) scandal, President Chen Shui-bian (
In early 1994, when then DPP lawmaker Chen Shui-bian, a Tainan County native, won the party's candidacy for the Taipei mayoral election, Chen Che-nan offered his assistance wherever he could, both spiritually and practically.
When Chen Shui-bian replaced Thomas Huang (
Political observers see Chen Che-nan, who knew the complex social networks in the south, is familiar with the political culture of Taiwanese communities and had been influenced by the KMT for decades, as a powerful builder of Chen Shui-bian's political career. However, during Chen Che-nan's tenure as former deputy secretary-general to the Presidential Office during Chen Shui-bian's first term as president from May 2000 to March last year, opposition political figures kept attacking him because of an alleged involvement in scandals. These allegations included interfering with governmental bidding projects and illegally receiving election-campaign funds. Chen Che-nan refuted all accusations. Last year he even claimed to have been suing a local Chinese-language weekly publication that alleged its investigations revealed that the value of Chen Che-nan properties has increased by NT$ 100 million in the last decade.
Before the presidential election last year, Chen Che-nan's name was mentioned in the controversy regarding fugitive tycoon Chen Yu-hao's (陳由豪) delivering bribe money to the DPP camp. Inside the Presidential Office, rumors regarding Chen Che-nan's abusing office staff to look after personal business continued. However, prior to Chen Che-nan's end of tenure at the Presidential Office in May last year, no investigation could prove his involvement in any scandal.
Since late August, when the riot by Thai workers of the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) was widely reported by local media, an investigation of an agent for immigrant workers found illegalities involving Chen Min-hsien (陳敏賢), former Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) vice chairman. In early September, the riot scandal resulted in the resignation of deputy Kaohisung Mayor Chen Chi-Mai (陳其邁), whose political career was launched in 1994 with the assistance of Chen Che-nan, his father. The last words of Chen Chi-Mai to the public was that his father was innocent and not involved in the scandal. However, early last month, investigators turned their attention to Chen Che-nan after uncovering certain clues.
The situation led Chen Che-nan to resign from the position as National Policy Advisor in the Presidential Office in a clear bid to cut the connection with Chen Shui-bian. Late last month, a photograph of Chen Che-nan and Chen Min-hsien gambling at a casino on Cheju Island, South Korea, seriously damaged the image of Chen Shui-bian, whose employing of people unsuitable for their jobs had been criticized as unwise.
According to Chen Wen-tsung (
"In the past, most people might have believed that any words spoken by Chen Che-nan, one of the president's close confidants, had been delivered with the president's blessing," Chen Wen-tsung told the Taipei Times last week.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or