Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), who is allegedly intending to represent the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) as its presidential candidate in next year’s presidential election, yesterday denied a report that he has been looking for a female running mate, while KMT chairman and New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) reiterated his intention not to run in the presidential race.
The media suggested that Wang is to run for president with incumbent KMT vice chairperson and former Chiayi City mayor Huang Min-hui (黃敏惠). Wang yesterday called the speculation “nonsense,” adding that he has not even entertained the idea of joining the race.
When questioned about a possible schedule on announcing his decision on whether to throw down the gauntlet, Wang said he wanted to focus on legislative affairs for now.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Responding to KMT spokesperson Yang Wei-chung’s (楊偉中) denial that Chu had informed Wang via a middleman that he would not run for president next year — a claim that Wang made on Wednesday — Wang refused to elaborate on the issue further, adding that he “respects Chu’s remarks” since it is possible that Chu had failed to receive prior notice.
Chu yesterday denied any “indirect communication,” saying that there would be “absolutely no need for a middleman between Wang [and himself] as they have always communicated directly with each other.”
“We could simply laugh when there are people, maybe unidentified, being fervent [about conveying messages],” Chu said.
When asked again about his possible presidential candidacy, Chu said that he would not join the race, adding that the media and the public “are both fully aware [that I will not run for president next year] as I have clearly stated my position many times in the past.”
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard