A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Central Committee branch was listed among the branches of the National Women’s League on the organization’s Web site, despite the latter claiming that it is not affiliated with the KMT.
Founded by Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) wife Soong Mayling (宋美齡), the league’s assets have attracted scrutiny over allegations that it illegally profited from its ties to the KMT’s authoritarian regime.
Some of the league’s funding came from the Military Benefit Tax, which was levied on the US dollar value of all imported goods from 1955 to 1989.
Following two rounds of negotiations with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee, the league late last month agreed to donate nearly 80 percent of its NT$38.1 billion (US$1.26 billion) worth of assets under government supervision.
It also ran an announcement in newspapers and on its Web site denying any links with the KMT, saying that none of its assets came from the party’s coffers.
“Its objective is to serve the nation and the public. It is by no means bound to the interests of a certain political party,” the notice read, referring to the league.
However, an introduction on its Web site provides conflicting information. It said the league has 25 overseas and nine domestic branches, including a KMT Central Committee branch.
Meanwhile, the asset committee’s second investigation report on the league suggested that the KMT had given the league a direct order to establish an election campaign group.
The group’s mission was to establish close contact with the KMT headquarters to help it conduct election campaigns, the report said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lai Jui-jung (賴瑞隆) yesterday said that the findings were “no surprise” given the group’s link with Soong, who led it for decades.
“It has repeatedly claimed that it is not affiliated with the KMT, but how could the league have possibly levied the monetary bonuses [the public] paid to soldiers during the authoritarian era had it not been for the KMT’s party-state rule?” Lai said.
The committee should continue its investigation to ascertain whether the league has other illegal assets, he said.
The committee should press the league to donate all of its assets, rather than 80 percent, he added.
KMT Culture and Communications Committee deputy director Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said the KMT and the league “have been two separate entities all along.”
Asked to comment on the KMT Central Committee branch listed on the league’s Web site and its apparent ties to the party, Hung said he could not to comment on the matter, which “dates back to a long time ago.”
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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