Hualien County experienced unusual political excitement yesterday as political heavyweights from both the ruling and the opposition parties simultaneously staged appearances in the region to stump for their respective candidates contending for the job of Hualien county commissioner.
While President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and several high-profile DPP mayors and commissioners such as Taipei County Commissioner Su Chen-chan (蘇貞昌) and Kaohsiung City Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) were seen campaigning alongside DPP candidate You Ying-lung (游盈隆), the KMT-PFP Alliance nominee Hsieh Shen-shan (謝深山) had his own super-campaigners, consisting of KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰), PFP chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) and a herd of fellow party legislators from Taipei.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
At You's rally last night, Chen recommended You's candidacy and praised him as a fine individual displaying courage and modesty.
"Despite three previous failed election bids in Hualien, You still chose to run again in the by-election. The people of Hualien should recognize his courage to run again and should give him an opportunity," Chen told a crowd at You's campaign rally.
Switching his focus, Chen, referring to Lien's rhetoric that emphasized the by-election as a forerunner to next year's presidential election, said that such rhetoric demonstrated that both Lien and Soong have only their best intentions set for next March's presidential election and not the by-election.
"Besides firing criticisms at others, what other contributions have [Lien and Soong] offered Taiwan during these past three years?" Chen said.
At the rally, You took the opportunity to dismiss the pan-blue camp's allegation that his candidacy in the by-election came after pressure from the DPP and was not his own choice.
"The most important reason behind my running in the by-election is my strong desire to realize many wishes long harbored by the Hualien populace," You said.
Stressing that convenient transportation is the backbone to developing Hualien into a world-class tourist destination, Chen, endorsing You's vision for the region's tourist industry, promised that construction of the long-delayed Su-hua Highway would kick off no later than December this year.
Chen also pledged to help upgrade the Hualien airport to meet international standards.
"Enhancing Hualien's transportation system will help develop the area's tourism industry and lead to more job opportunities for the region's people," Chen said.
Meanwhile, at Hsieh's campaign rally, both Lien and Soong delivered volleys of criticism at the Chen administration's governing record, branding You's pledges to the Hualien electorate as "empty promises" and saying that "Chen's visit to Hualien is not to campaign [for You] but to deceive [Hualien voters.]"
With that said, Lien and Soong called on Hualien's people "to throw their support behind Hsieh this year and the Lien-Soong ticket in next year's [presidential election.]"
Also see story:
‘A SERIOUS THREAT’: Japan has expressed grave concern over the Strait’s security over the years, which demonstrated Tokyo’s firm support for peace in the area, an official said China’s military drills around Taiwan are “incompatible” with peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya said during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi (王毅) on Thursday. “Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is important for the international community, including Japan,” Iwaya told Wang during a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings in Kuala Lumpur. “China’s large-scale military drills around Taiwan are incompatible with this,” a statement released by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday cited Iwaya as saying. The Foreign Ministers’ Meetings are a series of diplomatic
‘REALISTIC’ APPROACH: The ministry said all the exercises were scenario-based and unscripted to better prepare personnel for real threats and unexpected developments The army’s 21st Artillery Command conducted a short-range air defense drill in Taoyuan yesterday as part of the Han Kuang exercises, using the indigenous Sky Sword II (陸射劍二) missile system for the first time in the exercises. The armed forces have been conducting a series of live-fire and defense drills across multiple regions, simulating responses to a full-scale assault by Chinese forces, the Ministry of National Defense said. The Sky Sword II missile system was rapidly deployed and combat-ready within 15 minutes to defend Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in a simulated attack, the ministry said. A three-person crew completed setup and
DRILLS FOR 10 DAYS: The exercises would continue around the clock under realistic conditions taking into account all possibilities, the defense ministry said Taiwan yesterday launched its largest-ever military drills intended to guard against Chinese threats to invade, including using “gray zone” tactics deployed by China that stop just short of open warfare. This year’s 10-day live-fire Han Kuang exercises are the longest yet and follow the delivery of a range of new weaponry from tanks to uncrewed waterborne drones. The drills began with exercises to counter the actions of China Coast Guard and maritime militia ships that have been harassing Taiwanese vessels around outlying islands close to the Chinese coast, the Ministry of National Defense said. Cyberattacks and misinformation campaigns are seen by Taiwan as
SHIFTING FOCUS: Investment in China fell due to increasing costs, the US-China trade war and China’s economic development slowdown, a spokesperson said The percentage of Taiwanese businesses investing in China has been steadily declining since 2010 due to increased costs, the US-China trade war and the slowdown of China’s economic development, Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) spokesperson Li Pao-wen (黎寶文) said. In terms of Taiwan’s total outward investment, the percentage of businesses investing in China has dropped from 83.8 percent in 2010 to 11.4 percent in 2023, 7.5 percent last year and 2.7 percent in the first quarter of this year, Li said in an exclusive interview with Liberty Times, the Taipei Times’ sister paper. Li said that 70 percent of these businesses experienced
RSS