The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is striving to build cooperation among pan-green parties in light of recent developments in the political scene, DPP Chairman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday.
Cho said he had contacted New Power Party (NPP) Chairman Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) to schedule a meeting next week to discuss forging an alliance under the proposed banner of “safeguarding Greater Taiwan.”
The move comes after Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) on Thursday quit the NPP to run as an independent in his Taipei electoral district, while Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Wednesday announced that he was forming a new party.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
“Our talk will focus on collaboration, working together for Taiwan’s best interests and to implement national development programs,” Cho said of the planned meeting with Chiu. “The DPP is looking to help pro-Taiwan forces.”
Chiu yesterday met with NPP Legislator Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), after which he said that the party would support President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) re-election bid.
“I look forward to discussing with Cho the nomination of candidates in competing electorates,” Chiu said. “I also want to talk to Cho about judicial reform, amending injustices in housing policies, parliamentary reform and other important issues.”
Earlier yesterday, Cho wrote on Facebook about recent political developments, saying that the “DPP does not want to see events creating distrust and break-ups.”
“The DPP has always sought to see the pro-Taiwan forces grow and become stronger,” he wrote.
Lim’s departure has sparked conflict in the NPP, while Ko’s action has divided previously cooperative partnerships, he wrote.
“The coalition of forces opposed to China is breaking up and the pro-Taiwan force is splitting,” Cho wrote. “It is regretful to see this happening.”
“When China sees that our pro-Taiwan forces cannot work together due to internal conflicts, it will see that its opportunity has come,” he said.
“The DPP is willing to offer front-line troops as it forges an alliance for dialogue and cooperation among like-minded parties and groups,” he said.
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
The German city of Hamburg on Oct. 14 named a bridge “Kaohsiung-Brucke” after the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. The footbridge, formerly known as F566, is to the east of the Speicherstadt, the world’s largest warehouse district, and connects the Dar-es-Salaam-Platz to the Brooktorpromenade near the Port of Hamburg on the Elbe River. Timo Fischer, a Free Democratic Party member of the Hamburg-Mitte District Assembly, in May last year proposed the name change with support from members of the Social Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Union. Kaohsiung and Hamburg in 1999 inked a sister city agreement, but despite more than a quarter-century of
Taiwanese officials are courting podcasters and influencers aligned with US President Donald Trump as they grow more worried the US leader could undermine Taiwanese interests in talks with China, people familiar with the matter said. Trump has said Taiwan would likely be on the agenda when he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) next week in a bid to resolve persistent trade tensions. China has asked the White House to officially declare it “opposes” Taiwanese independence, Bloomberg reported last month, a concession that would mark a major diplomatic win for Beijing. President William Lai (賴清德) and his top officials
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday expressed “grave concerns” after Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) reiterated the city-state’s opposition to “Taiwanese independence” during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強). In Singapore on Saturday, Wong and Li discussed cross-strait developments, the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Prime Minister Wong reiterated that Singapore has a clear and consistent ‘one China’ policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence,” it said. MOFA responded that it is an objective fact and a common understanding shared by many that the Republic of China (ROC) is an independent, sovereign nation, with world-leading
RSS