The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday defended the legitimacy of its sale of three media outlets, including the Broadcasting Corporation of China (BCC), and criticized the government for making what it said were groundless accusations about the sale.
"The KMT acquired all assets legally and all our asset deals were handled through the proper legal channels," KMT administration and management committee director-general Chang Che-shen (
"If there were illegal aspects to the sale, the prosecutors would look into it. But the Government Information Office is in no position to make accusations," he said.
RESPONSE
Chang's remarks were made in response to accusations by Government Information Office Minister Shieh Jhy-wey (
The KMT-owned Central Investment Co (中央投資公司) sold BCC, Central Motion Picture Co and China Television Co to China Times Group subsidiary Jungli Investment Co (榮麗投資公司) in 2005 for NT$9.3 billion (US$280.7 million).
The transaction was facilitated by Hua Hsia, an investment firm owned by the KMT.
The deal was later canceled because the China Times Group was unable to pay the amount in full.
Former BCC chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (
`FAKE'
Chang denied Hsieh's accusations that the sale was "fake" and that the KMT still owned the assets, insisting that the KMT had sold the companies following its promise to end operating private businesses and media outlets.
"We condemn the government for asking the KMT to divest itself of its assets while threatening potential buyers," Chang said.
Chang accused the government of oppressing the KMT and casting doubts on the sale.
He pledged to take legal action against the government if it continued to spread groundless rumors that damaged the party's reputation.
In response, Hsieh yesterday continued his criticism of the sales and urged potential buyers not to purchase the assets, which are under government investigation.
"The government has made great efforts to transform the justice system and we will watch the KMT's every move very closely," Hsieh said yesterday after attending an event in Taipei.
Hsieh also repeated his call on Ma and China Times Group chairman Albert Yu (余建新) to explain the details of the sale.
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
RSS