People First Party (PFP) Legislator Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄) yesterday accused Minister of Transportation and Communications Kuo Yao-chi (郭瑤琪) of appointing a friend recommended by her husband to the position of secretary-general of the China Aviation Development Foundation (CADF).
Kuo denied the accusation, saying she would consult with an attorney to see if legal action should be taken against Liu.
According to Liu, Wu Cheng-chih (吳正之), the CADF's new secretary-general, has no background in aviation. Liu called on Kuo to step down if any connection were found between Wu and her husband.
"[Wu] is not a friend of mine or of my husband," Kuo said in response. "And he is not related to any political heavyweights, either."
Kuo said Wu was recommended by a friend of hers. All the candidates for the position, she said, were judged according to specific criteria. The secretary-general, she said, cannot have a political background. The candidate must also have several years of administrative experience and a decent character, she said.
Wu even suggested that he be given the job on a trial basis and be replaced immediately if he proved incapable, Kuo said.
"It is inappropriate for people to speculate and to attempt to associate this matter with my husband," Kuo said.
Liu made his allegation at a legislative Transportation Committee meeting yesterday, in which Kuo was also blamed for the fact that motorists had been breaking into the Hsuehshan Tunnel, which is scheduled to open next month, then posting pictures of themselves speeding online.
Liu and other PFP legislators also criticized Kuo in a separate press conference later yesterday for allegedly interfering in the appointment of three new members to the board of China Airlines.
The positions are said to have been filled by China Airlines chairman Philip Wei (
PFP Legislator Lee Hung-chun (
"Kuo and Chiang intended to authorize Wan Hai to have greater power to manage [China Airlines]," Lee added.
In response, Kuo said the proposal to add three new members to the board was made by Wei himself.
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a southwestern extension of the Sanying MRT Line from New Taipei to Bade District (八德) in Taoyuan, with a goal of starting construction by late 2026. The 4.03-kilometer extension, featuring three new stations, will run from the current terminus at Yingtao Fude Station (LB12) in New Taipei City to Dannan Station (LB14), where it will connect with Taoyuan’s Green Line, New Taipei City Metro Corp said in a statement. This extension will follow the completion of core Sanying Line, a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system linking Tucheng (土城), Sansia (三峽)
CARGO LOSS: About 50 containers at the stern of the ‘Ever Lunar’ cargo ship went overboard, prompting the temporary closure of the port and disrupting operations Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest container shipper, yesterday said that all crew members aboard the Ever Lunar (長月) were safe after dozens of containers fell overboard off the coast of Peru the previous day. The incident occurred at 9:40am on Friday as the Ever Lunar was anchored and waiting to enter the Port of Callao when it suddenly experienced severe rolling, Evergreen said in a statement. The rolling, which caused the containers to fall, might have been caused by factors including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Russia, poor winter sea conditions in South America or a sudden influx of waves,
The Ministry of Culture yesterday officially launched the “We TAIWAN” cultural program on Osaka’s Nakanoshima sandbank, with the program’s mascot receiving overwhelming popularity. The cultural program, which runs from Aug. 2 to 20, was designed to partner with and capitalize on the 2025 World Expo that is being held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to Oct. 13, the ministry said. On the first day of the cultural program, its mascot, a green creature named “a-We,” proved to be extremely popular, as its merch was immediately in high demand. Long lines formed yesterday for the opening
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
RSS