The Presidential Office expressed concern yesterday over a story run by the Associated Press (AP) that described Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) as "the scum of the nation."
With the headline "Taiwan's `scum of the nation' runs for president," the story said Lu was an outspoken vice president that "China has called `insane' and the `scum of the nation.'"
The headline was later changed to a more moderate tone that read "Lu seeks to be first Taiwan woman president" after the Presidential Office expressed concern.
Lu said last night that she would send a letter of protest to CNN and demand an apology or an interview in order to safeguard the country's dignity.
Presidential Office spokesman David Lee (
Lee said the office would contact CNN to gain a clearer understanding of the situation.
Lu yesterday formally announced her bid for next year's presidential election, becoming the first Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate to officially register for the party's primary.
Three other DPP politicians have also announced their intentions to run in the primary are expected to register tomorrow: Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun and former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷).
Lu made the announcement at the Grand Hotel, the Taipei landmark where the DPP was founded.
Saying she needed a "higher position to accomplish the historic mission left off by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁)," Lu vowed to complete the normalization and globalization of the nation if elected.
Because of the nation's unique political situation, Lu said someone with a "correct sense of history" and a "complete sense of what is going on" was needed to lead the country.
Lu remained evasive, however, about whether she would continue Chen's "four noes and one without" pledge if elected.
On cross-strait relations, Lu said Taiwan and China had to end the resentment left by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Chinese Communist Party.
"Taiwan and China are distant relatives and close neighbors. There should not be any hatred or war between the two countries," she said.
Lu proposed adopting a "three Cs" principle to develop "constructive engagement" with China. The "three Cs" refer to promoting coexistence, cooperation and mutual prosperity.
Commenting on the DPP's selection process, Lu said that polls were important, but what was more important was to select the candidate who could win the election.
After candidates publicly debated policy, Lu said she believed Chen would take into account opinion polls during the negotiation process between contenders.
If the negotiation failed to bear fruit, the primary would be held, she said.
Lu said she would not seek re-election as vice president and would drop out of the race if she did not place first in the primary.
DPP members will vote on presidential and legislative candidates on May 6. The party will then conduct public opinion polls. The party will announce its candidates for the two elections on May 30.
Lu said she would accept the results of the negotiations and "would feel OK" if she were told to withdraw from the race after the selection process.
Although she has not yet chosen a running mate, Lu said the person had to be a strength in the primary and the best possible assistant once elected.
Hsieh said yesterday he supported Lu's decision to run.
"The more people, the better. We can all improve through competition. But I cannot say I hope she will be elected because this is against my desires," he said.
Additional reporting by Flora Wang
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
Instead of focusing solely on the threat of a full-scale military invasion, the US and its allies must prepare for a potential Chinese “quarantine” of Taiwan enforced through customs inspections, Stanford University Hoover fellow Eyck Freymann said in a Foreign Affairs article published on Wednesday. China could use various “gray zone” tactics in “reconfiguring the regional and ultimately the global economic order without a war,” said Freymann, who is also a nonresident research fellow at the US Naval War College. China might seize control of Taiwan’s links to the outside world by requiring all flights and ships entering or leaving Taiwan
The next minimum wage hike is expected to exceed NT$30,000, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday during an award ceremony honoring “model workers,” including migrant workers, at the Presidential Office ahead of Workers’ Day today. Lai said he wished to thank the awardees on behalf of the nation and extend his most sincere respect for their hard work, on which Taiwan’s prosperity has been built. Lai specifically thanked 10 migrant workers selected for the award, saying that although they left their home countries to further their own goals, their efforts have benefited Taiwan as well. The nation’s industrial sector and small businesses lay
Quarantine awareness posters at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport have gone viral for their use of wordplay. Issued by the airport branch of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency, the posters feature sniffer dogs making a range of facial expressions, paired with advisory messages built around homophones. “We update the messages for holidays and campaign needs, periodically refreshing materials to attract people’s attention,” quarantine officials said. “The aim is to use the dogs’ appeal to draw focus to quarantine regulations.” A Japanese traveler visiting Taiwan has posted a photo on X of a poster showing a quarantine dog with a
RSS