Central Investment Co, the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) only remaining company, yesterday dismissed allegations that part of Broadcasting Corporation of China (BCC) would be returned to the company.
The KMT sold BCC to Jungli Investment Co in 2005 for approximately NT$9.3 billion (US$282 million). China Television Co and the Central Motion Picture Corp were also included in the deal. The company later sold BCC to current BCC chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康) in 2006.
The Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) yesterday reported that Jaw applied to the National Communications Commission (NCC) last year to divide BCC into two companies, BCC and an asset management company, in an attempt to return the NT$7 billion company to Central Investment Co.
Wang Hai-ching (汪海清), general manager of Central Investment Co, yesterday dismissed the report, saying that the KMT had carried out its promise of divesting the party of its media interests when it sold the three companies.
Wang said Jaw applied to divide BCC in order to follow the NCC’s regulations in preparation for the radio station’s stock being officially listed on the stock exchange.
The Central Investment Co no longer owns a share holding in BCC and it was Jaw’s right to handle the company as he saw fit, Wang said.
“The sale was complicated, but it was handled according to the law,” Wang told a press conference at the KMT headquarters.
Wang declined to comment on whether or not Jaw would keep only BCC and return the asset management company to Central Investment Co.
Wang said prosecutors began an investigation into the KMT’s handling of the sale of the three media outlets under the Democratic Progressive Party government. He urged the public to respect the investigation, which had not discovered anything illegal about the sale and to stop damaging the KMT’s reputation with groundless accusations.
The KMT placed the Central Investment Co into trust in 2007 following Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) pledge to resolve the party assets issue during his time as party chairman. The company was expected to have been sold, but the party continues to own the firm.
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
EVA Airways on Saturday said that it had suspended a pilot and opened an investigation after he allegedly lost his temper and punched the first officer several times as their plane was taxiing before takeoff at Los Angeles International Airport. According to a report published on Thursday by The Reporter, the incident occurred after the flight’s Malaysian first officer tried to warn the Taiwanese pilot, surnamed Wen (文), that he was taxiing faster than the speed limit of 30 knots (55.6kph). After alerting the pilot several times without response, the first officer manually applied the brakes in accordance with standard operating
NOT AN OPENING: Trump’s violation of international law does not affect China’s consideration in attacking Taiwan; Beijing lacks capability, not precedent, an official said Taiwanese officials see the US’ capture of the president of Venezuela as a powerful deterrent to Beijing’s aggression and a timely reminder of the US’ ability to defeat militaries equipped with Chinese-made weapons. The strikes that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signaled to authoritarian leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), US President Donald Trump’s willingness to use military might for international affairs core to US interests, one senior official in Taipei’s security circle said. That reassured Taiwan, the person said. Taipei has also dismissed the idea that Trump’s apparent violation of international law could embolden Beijing, said the official, who was not
RSS