The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday urged Hualien County residents to vote against the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate in the by-election for Hualien mayor, saying it would serve as a vote of confidence in President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration, which it said has devastated the nation’s tourism industry with a refusal to face the so-called “1992 consensus.”
Speaking at a news conference in Taipei, KMT Culture and Communications Committee director Chow Chi-wai (周志偉) said Tsai’s reluctance to accept the “1992 consensus” has caused cross-strait relations to run aground.
The “1992 consensus,” a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) admitted to making up in 2000, refers to a supposed understanding between the KMT and the Chinese government that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Photo: Wang Chun-chi, Taipei Times
Chow said stalled cross-strait ties have taken a toll on the tourism industry, the effects of which are particularly felt by Hualien residents.
KMT Culture and Communications Committee deputy director-general Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said bad policy is worse than corruption, citing what he said was former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) closed-door policy that led to a slowdown in tourism and many other industries.
“According to statistics compiled by the Hualien Home Stay Association, bed-and-breakfast establishments aimed at Chinese tourists have seen bookings decline by 50 percent, and occupancy rates drop to 30 percent,” Hung said, accusing Tsai of attaching no importance to people’s livelihoods.
Statistics from the Hualien Tourism Department showed that the number of tourists to the county between May and last month has been on the decline, Hung said.
Urging the tourism department to come up with responsive measures, Hung also called on Tsai to take concrete actions if she does not want to be judged by her short-term performance.
Saturday’s by-election is to vote for a successor to former Hualien mayor Tien Chih-hsuan (田智宣), who died of lung cancer in May aged 56.
Tien’s widow, Chang Mei-hui (張美慧), is running as the DPP’s candidate against the KMT’s Wei Chia-hsien (魏嘉賢). Three former KMT members are running as independents after being expelled by the KMT because they insisted on running in the by-election.
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Hualien Branch of the High Court today sentenced the main suspect in the 2021 fatal derailment of the Taroko Express to 12 years and six months in jail in the second trial of the suspect for his role in Taiwan’s deadliest train crash. Lee Yi-hsiang (李義祥), the driver of a crane truck that fell onto the tracks and which the the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA) train crashed into in an accident that killed 49 people and injured 200, was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in the first trial by the Hualien District Court in 2022. Hoa Van Hao, a
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
RSS