Former Kaohsiung County commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興), who was believed to have close ties to People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), publicly endorsed President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) re-election bid yesterday.
Yang, a former member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) who broke ranks with the party to run as an independent in the Kaohsiung municipal election in November last year, listed several reasons for his support, including stable cross-strait relations and a creditable economic performance.
Cross-strait relations have been stable since Ma took office in May 2008, Yang said.
Photo: Chang Chung-yi, Taipei Times
“This has benefited economic development, making Taiwan prosperous and vibrant,” he said.
More than 100 countries have awarded Taiwanese visa-free treatment and the international community has been more friendly to Taiwan, Yang said.
He also praised Taiwan’s economic performance, saying the country had achieved steady growth at a time when the US and Europe are showing signs of economic decline.
With China one of the world’s leading economic powers it was unrealistic to think Taiwan could cut itself off from its cross-strait neighbor, which is why he supported the signing of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement with China last year, Yang said.
He also cited personal reasons for supporting the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) ticket of Ma and Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義).
In the aftermath of Typhoon Morakot, which devastated southern Taiwan, including Kaohsiung County, in August 2009, Ma and Wu provided a great deal of assistance, Yang said.
“I had the opportunity to observe Ma from up close on a number of occasions and found him to be a man of sincerity and integrity, and Wu is a man of outstanding administrative ability,” he said.
On balance, the Ma-Wu ticket would be better placed to promote the future development of Taiwan, Yang said.
When asked whether he planned to meet with Soong, Yang was less forthcoming
Yang said that as a friend he would welcome Soong’s election, but added that he felt such an outcome was unlikely.
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