Following a series of disputes on negotiations between the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and alternative political groups over cross-party collaborations in the coming legislative election, DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) voiced her willingness to make more concessions.
“To have the forces of reform occupy more than 50 percent of the seats in the legislature, we must endorse the most competitive candidate in each electoral district. It is the DPP’s responsibility and the DPP’s rule of thumb in endorsing candidates,” Tsai said during a speech to the Taiwanese-American community in New York City on Friday during a 12-day visit to the US.
“When there is a candidate in the progressive camp who is most likely to win, of course the person does not have to be nominated by the DPP,” she said.
“If we can yield in the Taipei mayoral election, what else can we not yield?” Tsai added, referring to the DPP’s decision against nominating a candidate last year in the Taipei mayoral election.
The party threw its support behind independent then-candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who ultimately won a landslide victory.
Tsai said the DPP would establish a competitive, yet cooperative, relationship with other parties that hold common ideas, so that progressive political forces could stand united for a bigger objective.
Tsai was responding to recent criticism from veteran political activist Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) and politicians representing alternative political groups.
The critics said that, while the DPP agreed to yield seats to third-party political candidates, it is not conceding enough.
Tsai said that while she feels “a little saddened” by some of Lin’s words, she understands that it is because Lin has high expectations for Taiwan’s future and its democracy.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
Instead of focusing solely on the threat of a full-scale military invasion, the US and its allies must prepare for a potential Chinese “quarantine” of Taiwan enforced through customs inspections, Stanford University Hoover fellow Eyck Freymann said in a Foreign Affairs article published on Wednesday. China could use various “gray zone” tactics in “reconfiguring the regional and ultimately the global economic order without a war,” said Freymann, who is also a nonresident research fellow at the US Naval War College. China might seize control of Taiwan’s links to the outside world by requiring all flights and ships entering or leaving Taiwan
The next minimum wage hike is expected to exceed NT$30,000, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday during an award ceremony honoring “model workers,” including migrant workers, at the Presidential Office ahead of Workers’ Day today. Lai said he wished to thank the awardees on behalf of the nation and extend his most sincere respect for their hard work, on which Taiwan’s prosperity has been built. Lai specifically thanked 10 migrant workers selected for the award, saying that although they left their home countries to further their own goals, their efforts have benefited Taiwan as well. The nation’s industrial sector and small businesses lay
Taiwan's first indigenous defense submarine, the SS-711 Hai Kun (海鯤, or Narwhal), departed for its 13th sea trial at 7am today, marking its seventh submerged test, with delivery to the navy scheduled for July. The outing also marked its first sea deployment since President William Lai (賴清德) boarded the submarine for an inspection on March 19, drawing a crowd of military enthusiasts who gathered to show support. The submarine this morning departed port accompanied by CSBC Corp’s Endeavor Manta (奮進魔鬼魚號) uncrewed surface vessel and a navy M109 assault boat. Amid public interest in key milestones such as torpedo-launching operations and overnight submerged trials,
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