Amid President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) low approval ratings and speculation over who will be his “designated successor” within the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) of the KMT has raised eyebrows among top brass in his party with his recent acceptance of an invitation to speak from a Taiwan independence group.
Chu on Nov. 28 was invited to speak at a forum organized by the Taiwan Brain Trust, a think tank founded by Taiwanese independence advocate Koo Kwang-ming (辜寬敏), on the topic of “city governance and national development.”
While Chu’s speech did not contain any surprises, pro-Taiwanese independence heavyweights said Chu was able to highlight key issues in governance and commended his ability and good reputation, adding that Chu “should come forward in 2016 [to vie for the KMT presidential candidacy].”
Photo: Yu Chao-fu, Taipei Times
Top-ranking officials from the Presidential Office and the Executive Yuan have taken notice of the praise garnered by Chu from the pan-green camp and found it “hard to look at,” one party insider said.
According to the party source, a subtle yet intriguing change is taking place in the interaction between Ma and Chu, who is regarded as one of the KMT’s hopefuls for the 2016 presidential election.
In his speech at the Taiwan Brain Trust, Chu avoided saying whether a national affairs conference should be held.
However, he said that “the important thing is that when our nation is facing serious issues, the government and opposition parties should work together to find solutions.”
Because Ma has rejected opposition parties’ proposal to convene a national affairs conference, the remarks by Chu, while being ambiguous, have been interpreted by political observers as signaling a different stance from Ma.
In another incident, last week at a New Taipei City council meeting, Chu accused the judiciary and prosecutors’ offices of abusing their power while investigating top civil servants and indicting them on charges of graft.
The remarks earned Chu a rebuke by Ma, who doubles as the KMT chairman, at the KMT Central Standing Committee on Wednesday.
Commenting on the incidents, some pan-blue camp stalwarts said outsiders tended to blow any perceived change in the relationship between Ma and Chu out of proportion.
In response to media queries, Chu yesterday said he and Ma have always remained in contact.
“There is no rift between us,” he said.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
RSS