Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday declined to comment on rumors that he is planning to form a new political party when asked to about the subject during an announcement for the establishment of the Huang Hsin-chieh Memorial Plaza in Taipei.
Huang Hsin-chieh (黃信介) was a former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman and democracy advocate who died in 1999 at the age of 71.
Huang selflessly devoted himself to fighting for democracy and human rights in Taiwan, gave up his wealth and privileged status, and was imprisoned for pursuing his dreams, Ko said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
“Taipei was Huang Hsin-chieh’s stage in history, and memories of him are important for many of the city’s residents,” Ko said.
Huang reflected many core Taiwanese values — embodying grassroots participation in politics, respecting justice, pursuing ideals and persistence, the mayor said.
National Policy Adviser to the President Huang Tien-fu (黃天福), Huang Hsin-chieh’s younger brother, said Ko’s temperament is similar to that of his brother, as both are straightforward, but take responsibility for their words.
Asked by reporters if he conforms to the Taiwanese values he described Huang Hsin-chieh as embodying, Ko said: “Everyone has their own Taiwanese values in their heart, and I believe in democracy, freedom, diversity and openness, meaning that we allow everyone in this land to pursue what they believe in; this is the greatest value in Taiwan.”
“A significant characteristic of Huang Hsin-chieh was that he was practical,” Ko said.
Huang Hsin-chieh was easy to get along with and had few political enemies or arguments with people, Ko said, adding that this is a goal that he is striving to achieve.
Asked about political pundit and DPP Taipei City Councilor Liang Wen-chieh’s (梁文傑) remark that he is planning to form a political party, Ko said: “This is strange. Just like I never said I wanted to run for president ... I often read newspapers to find out what my strategies and personnel plans are, which is ridiculous.”
Asked again to respond to the rumor, he said: “Does not denying a rumor mean confirming it? That is horrible.”
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS