Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday said that Taiwan should not be led around by the nose by China and forced to respond to the policies it implements.
Ko visited Hsinchu yesterday and accompanied Republican Party Chairwoman Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩), who is running for Hsinchu County commissioner, to election campaign events at the city’s Lianhua Temple (蓮華寺) and the local riverside park.
After China began issuing residency permit cards for Taiwanese in China, Cabinet spokesperson Kolas Yotaka on Thursday said the government is considering imposing regulatory measures or restrictions on cardholders.
Ko on Friday said that the government could also treat the cardholders the same way US green card holders are treated.
Ko’s remark sparked debate among political figures, including New Power Party Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐).
Lim on Friday evening explained the difference between the two cards on Facebook.
He said that China is the only country in the world that wants to annex Taiwan, so it cannot be viewed as the same as other countries, such as the US.
Asked again about China’s residency permit cards yesterday, Ko said that cross-strait relations are a difficult problem to deal with, but the nation should adopt a strategy of Taiwan-centered thinking.
“Currently, whenever it [Beijing] launches a policy, we are forced to respond,” he said, restating that Taiwan could just view the residency permit cards as green cards.
Separately, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei mayoral candidate Ting Shou-chung (丁守中) on Wednesday said that Ko should attend a televised debate with him to directly examine what he has done for the city in four years, as recent opinion polls all show that Ko is in the lead.
Democratic Progressive Party Taipei mayoral candidate Pasuya Yao (姚文智) on Friday said that he would like to invite Ko and Ting to join him in debates, which could be held weekly to discuss different policies each time.
In response, Ting said he would be glad to attend.
However, Ko said that any debates should be held after Nov. 8, when he takes leave from his post as mayor.
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 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
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
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS