Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) yesterday said at a Taipei press event that Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) is the only politician capable of influencing the pro-localization forces in the Legislative Yuan.
The 92-year-old president made two appearances at the Sheraton Grande Taipei Hotel: a meeting with Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and a campaign event announcing an alliance between the Radical Flank and Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU).
In response to a question about Wang’s possible nomination as a legislator-at-large by the KMT in the Jan. 16 elections, Lee said: “Whether Wang Jin-pyng will again assume the post of Legislative Speaker is up to the legislators.”
Photo: Wang Yi-song, Taipei Times
“However, I believe that the only person in the Legislative Yuan capable of influencing pro-localization forces is [Wang] alone and no one else,” he added.
“The task facing the Legislative Yuan in the immediate future is to manage [Taiwanese] local interests and the economic issues that concern the people,” he added.
“It is very important that the Legislative Yuan has good, pro-localization people working for it, and as the global situation is shifting rapidly, the survival of a small nation like Taiwan depends on the strength of its leaders,” Lee said.
Asked about the possibility of military conflict between the US and China over South China Sea, Lee said: “[The US and China] alone decide if they are to fight, but it remains true that the situation in South China Sea is very dangerous, because the area commands all [regional] north-south communications.”
“It makes sense that the US military would observe the area with submarines, destroyers and aircraft,” Lee added.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it