Former Presidential Office -secretary-general Chen Shih-meng (陳師孟) and other pro--independence activists yesterday told a gathering over afternoon tea that they had raised more than NT$23 million (US$769,000) for political commentator Chin Heng-wei (金恆煒) over the past week alone, easily beating the initial objective of NT$5 million.
Chin, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in August and is undergoing treatment, received a warm welcome when he appeared at the party and bowed to express his appreciation.
Chen said pan-green camp supporters had demonstrated their amazing mobilization power.
PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
He said that despite Chin’s status as a “Mainlander,” the fundraising event had successfully dashed “ethnic barriers.”
“I am deeply touched by this,” he said.
Chin ran into financial difficulties because of several lawsuits that were filed against him.
Chen, along with Taiwan -Association of University Professors president Chen Yi-shen (陳儀深), Northern Taiwan Society chairwoman Janice Chen (陳昭姿) and other pro-independence activists, held a joint press conference on Monday last week to announce the fundraiser.
The gathering in Taipei was held to express their gratitude. Chen Yi-shen said Chin is honest and outspoken and that his pen is like the sword.
Although some people have suggested the fundraising event should continue, Chen Yi-shen said they had to stop the event yesterday because the initial goal had already been met.
The fact that the fundraiser easily beat its objective, was a demonstration of Taiwan’s social strength, he said.
The total funds raised in the space of a week were NT$23,626,693, excluding donations in foreign currencies.
Lu Shih-hsiang (盧世祥), -executive director of the Foundation for the Advancement of Media Excellence, praised Chin — who was too weak to make a speech yesterday — as “Taiwan’s democracy fighter.”
Japanese footwear brand Onitsuka Tiger today issued a public apology and said it has suspended an employee amid allegations that the staff member discriminated against a Vietnamese customer at its Taipei 101 store. Posting on the social media platform Threads yesterday, a user said that an employee at the store said that “those shoes are very expensive” when her friend, who is a migrant worker from Vietnam, asked for assistance. The employee then ignored her until she asked again, to which she replied: "We don't have a size 37." The post had amassed nearly 26,000 likes and 916 comments as of this
US President Donald Trump said "it’s up to" Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) what China does on Taiwan, but that he would be "very unhappy" with a change in the "status quo," the New York Times said in an interview published yesterday. Xi "considers it to be a part of China, and that’s up to him what he’s going to be doing," Trump told the newspaper on Wednesday. "But I’ve expressed to him that I would be very unhappy if he did that, and I don’t think he’ll do that," he added. "I hope he doesn’t do that." Trump made the comments in
Tourism in Kenting fell to a historic low for the second consecutive year last year, impacting hotels and other local businesses that rely on a steady stream of domestic tourists, the latest data showed. A total of 2.139 million tourists visited Kenting last year, down slightly from 2.14 million in 2024, the data showed. The number of tourists who visited the national park on the Hengchun Peninsula peaked in 2015 at 8.37 million people. That number has been below 2.2 million for two years, although there was a spike in October last year due to multiple long weekends. The occupancy rate for hotels
A cold surge advisory was today issued for 18 cities and counties across Taiwan, with temperatures of below 10°C forecast during the day and into tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. New Taipei City, Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu, Miaoli and Yilan counties are expected to experience sustained temperatures of 10°C or lower, the CWA said. Temperatures are likely to temporarily drop below 10°C in most other areas, except Taitung, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, CWA data showed. The cold weather is being caused by a strong continental cold air mass, combined with radiative cooling, a process in which heat escapes from
RSS