The election-eve campaigns of two Greater Taichung mayoral candidates separately attracted thousands of supporters yesterday, with each event featuring a “special guest” showing their support for the candidates, either in person or via video.
Incumbent Taichung Mayor Jason Hu’s (胡志強) campaign featured President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) and Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺).
Ma, who doubles as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman, praised Hu’s achievements during his time in office and said: “If Hu gets elected, there will be no shortage of budget allocated from the central government for his promised constructions.”
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The KMT’s Hu said the Pingtung County farmer who provided tip-offs in the recent cooking oil scandal had agreed to show his support, but was turned town by Hu out of security concerns. The farmer appeared in a video shown during the event to express his gratitude to Greater Taichung’s police in the oil scandal.
Hu’s rally site, an open space next to a shopping mall and surrounded by newly built luxury high-rise apartments, was filled with supporters in groups led by people upholding plates with district names. The event also saw police stationed at the entrance checking people’s backpacks as it was rumored that protesters might come to interrupt the event.
The outdoor theater in a forest park chosen by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taichung mayoral candidate Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) for his election-eve rally was similarly packed. The “mystery guests” invited by the team turned out to be the sister and uncle of army corporal Hung Chung-chiu (洪仲丘), whose death — allegedly from abuse while serving in the military — had brought tens of thousands protesters onto the streets to protest against the military abuses of human rights.
Photo: Liao Yao-tung, Taipei Times
Hung’s sister, Hung Tzu-yung (洪慈庸), said she was grateful for Lin’s attention and care even after the publicity over the tragedy had faded.
Lin’s wife, Liao Wan-ju (廖婉如), who said she was speaking on stage for Lin for the first time since Lin went into politics, said that although Hu has been touting his achievements in the urban areas of Greater Taichung, he had failed to see “the widened urban-rural divide in the downtown area, let alone in outer Taichung.”
Lin echoed the concern, adding that as Hu “has already been in office for 14 years,” it is time to pass the baton to someone else.
“Be grateful to Hu, and vote for Lin,” he told a cheering crowd. “Let’s together say goodbye to Mayor Hu and welcome the new era with Lin as the helmsman.”
Lin’s event was also attended by DPP heavyweights.
Former DPP chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), former Presidential Office secretary-general Yeh Chu-lan (葉菊蘭) and DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) all appeared at the event to show their support.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or