Newly elected Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) yesterday vowed to learn from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and recruit talent from schools and at the grassroots level to prepare the party for a political comeback.
Hung, the party’s first female chairperson, was sworn in at a handover ceremony at KMT headquarters, which was attended by several senior party members, including President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), Legislator and former legislative speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and former KMT chairmen Lien Chan (連戰) and Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄).
New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), who replaced Hung as the KMT’s presidential candidate in October last year, appeared briefly at the ceremony to greet the attendees, but left before Ma and Hung arrived.
“We have to admit that the KMT did not give young people enough room to fully bring their talents into full play. I must say our opponent [the DPP] is more daring in recruiting talented individuals,” Hung said in her inaugural speech.
Hung said she does not rule out learning from the party’s opponents and drawing from their strong suits, adding that she plans to go into schools and the grassroots level to scout for political talent.
To reconstruct our “combat squads,” the KMT needs to expound its views on several key issues, including the Constitution, the founding principles of the nation, national identity, cross-strait relations, Taiwan’s global and regional positions, and livelihood issues, Hung said.
Acknowledging president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Hung said Taiwan does not belong only to the DPP, but to the entire population of the Republic of China (ROC).
“I hereby swear to defend the ROC, the path of peaceful cross-strait development and the values of democracy, rule of law, integrity and distributive justice,” Hung said.
“I will also ensure that the KMT fulfills its responsibility as an opposition party,” she said.
Ma said that while many KMT supporters were dispirited by the party’s defeats in the 2014 local elections and the Jan. 16 presidential and legislative races, some still harbor strong ambitions to help the KMT make a comeback.
“I am responsible for the party’s two recent electoral failures. I will stand alongside Chairperson Hung to help her push for party reforms,” Ma said.
Hung is to serve as party chairperson until July next year. She was elected to fill the post left vacant by Chu, who stepped down as chairman on Jan. 16 to take responsibility for the KMT’s electoral loss.
Chu was elected as party chairman in a by-election in January last year, after his predecessor, Ma, resigned in December 2014 over the KMT’s landslide defeat in the 2014 nine-in-one elections.
US President Donald Trump said "it’s up to" Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) what China does on Taiwan, but that he would be "very unhappy" with a change in the "status quo," the New York Times said in an interview published yesterday. Xi "considers it to be a part of China, and that’s up to him what he’s going to be doing," Trump told the newspaper on Wednesday. "But I’ve expressed to him that I would be very unhappy if he did that, and I don’t think he’ll do that," he added. "I hope he doesn’t do that." Trump made the comments in
NOT AN OPENING: Trump’s violation of international law does not affect China’s consideration in attacking Taiwan; Beijing lacks capability, not precedent, an official said Taiwanese officials see the US’ capture of the president of Venezuela as a powerful deterrent to Beijing’s aggression and a timely reminder of the US’ ability to defeat militaries equipped with Chinese-made weapons. The strikes that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signaled to authoritarian leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), US President Donald Trump’s willingness to use military might for international affairs core to US interests, one senior official in Taipei’s security circle said. That reassured Taiwan, the person said. Taipei has also dismissed the idea that Trump’s apparent violation of international law could embolden Beijing, said the official, who was not
A cold surge advisory was today issued for 18 cities and counties across Taiwan, with temperatures of below 10°C forecast during the day and into tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. New Taipei City, Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu, Miaoli and Yilan counties are expected to experience sustained temperatures of 10°C or lower, the CWA said. Temperatures are likely to temporarily drop below 10°C in most other areas, except Taitung, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, CWA data showed. The cold weather is being caused by a strong continental cold air mass, combined with radiative cooling, a process in which heat escapes from
Snow this morning fell on Alishan for the first time in seven years, as a strong continental cold air mass sent temperatures plunging across Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The Alishan weather station, located at an elevation of about 2,200m in central Taiwan, recorded snowfall from 8:55am to 9:15am, when the temperature dropped to about 1°C, the CWA said. With increased moisture and low temperatures in the high-altitude Alishan area, the conditions were favorable for snow, CWA forecaster Tsai Yi-chi (蔡伊其) said. The last time snow fell at the Alishan weather station was on Jan. 10, 2018, while graupel fell there
RSS