Several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members yesterday dismissed media reports that Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) is to be replaced by KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) as the party’s presidential candidate, saying the allegations were based on unfounded rumors.
“The KMT officially selected Hung as its presidential candidate at a party congress on July 19. The party headquarters and local branches have all begun campaigning for the candidate,” KMT spokesperson Lin Yi-hua (林奕華) said.
The media reports are based on unsubstantiated rumors, she added.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Lin was referring to an article yesterday in the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper), which cited a “credible anonymous source” as saying that two senior KMT officials had been sounding out several party heavyweights over their sentiment toward entering next year’s Jan. 16 election as Chu’s running mate.
The report said the two officials only resumed their current posts after Chu took over as chairman of the KMT from President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) in January.
KMT Legislator Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾) said she was “extremely annoyed” to hear these kinds of rumors on political talk shows over the past month.
“Who are those anonymous sources exactly? Stop hiding in the shadows,” Lo said, dismissing the possibility of the party dropping a candidate that has been legitimately selected via the party’s primary process.
Lo said that rumors such as this seemed to be aimed at fostering the false belief among pan-blue supporters that the KMT could replace its presidential candidate at any time and thus encourage them to support someone else.
She urged KMT supporters not to be manipulated by politically motivated rumormongers and to stay united.
KMT Legislator Alicia Wang (王育敏) shrugged off the reports, saying that both Chu and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) have campaigned for Hung.
“While there is plenty of room for Hung’s campaign to improve, the KMT needs unity more than ever. Such rumors can only hurt the party,” Alicia Wang said.
Wang Jin-pyng, who was said to be interested in making a presidential bid, also dismissed the allegations, saying that there were too many rumors in circulation and the public should not take them seriously.
Asked when he planned to attend Hung’s campaign events to show his support, Wang Jin-pyng said that for Hung to win the election, “collective wisdom and action are required.”
“If I act unilaterally it will only fuel unnecessary speculation,” he said.
“It would be like throwing a tiny stone into a pond, which does not cause much of an effect except for a small ripple,” the legislative speaker said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain
Taiwan’s three major international carriers are increasing booking fees, with EVA Airways having already increased the charge to US$28 per flight segment from US$25, while China Airlines (CAL) and Starlux Airlines are set to follow suit. Booking fees are charged by airlines through a global distribution system (GDS) and passed on to passengers. Carriers that apply the fees include CAL, EVA, Starlux and Tigerair Taiwan. A GDS is a computerized network operated by a company that connects airlines with travel agents and ticketing platforms, allowing reservations to be made and processed in real time. Major players include Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport. EVA Air began
RSS