New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (郁慕明) on Thursday said in an interview that Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is “more dangerous” than President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and could “be ruthless” because she is “single, without family burdens.”
In an interview with the China Review News, when he was asked to comment on remarks that Tsai is a 2.0 version of Ma or another Chen, Yok said he has long before said that Tsai is a “female version of Ma,” as they “lack ideas, but think highly of themselves and do not take advice.”
“However, she would be worse than Ma, for Ma has done a lot that he should have done to sustain a peaceful foundation. Unless she renounces the Taiwan independence clause [in the DPP’s party charter], she would not have the support from the pan-blue camp or the approval of the Chinese Communist Party if she continues her equivocation. However, if she does, she would be harshly criticized by the people who support Taiwanese independence,” Yok said.
“What is different between Tsai and Chen is that she is single. Single people do things more ruthlessly because they have less to care about compared with those who have children. She is more dangerous than Chen. One day she might go amok; she might ally with the US and Japan and start a war against China,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator-at-large candidate Hu Chu-sheng (胡筑生), who is head of the party’s Huang Fu Hsing (黃復興) military veterans’ branch, on Wednesday night said on a political talk show of the nation’s military system that: “If everyone were Hung Chung-chiu (洪仲丘) in the army, Taiwan would have become a female country (女人國) long before.”
Hung died from abuse when serving in the military in 2013. His death sparked a mass demonstration calling for military reform. Hung’s sister, Hung Tzu-yung (洪慈庸), now a New Power Party legislative candidate, accepted calls to enter politics after attracting public attention for her fight against the Ministry of National Defense following Hung Chung-chiu’s death.
Hung Tsu-yung yesterday said on Facebook that the military would continue to abuse people as long as its actions do not come to light.
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
A fourth public debate was held today about restarting the recently decommissioned Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, ahead of a referendum on the controversial issue to be held in less than two weeks. A referendum on Aug. 23 is to ask voters if they agree that “the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant should continue operations upon approval by the competent authority and confirmation that there are no safety concerns.” Anyone over 18 years of age can vote in the referendum. The vote comes just three months after its final reactor shut down, officially making Taiwan nuclear-free. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) represented