Retired army general Yu Pei-chen (于北辰) on Friday said that he was leaving the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and voiced his support for the Democratic Progressive Party’s Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀), who is to run in a by-election on Sunday next week.
Yu made the announcement during an appearance on a talk show. The by-election is to fill Taichung’s second electoral district seat, left vacant following the recall of former legislator Chen Po-wei (陳柏惟) of the Taiwan Statebuilding Party in October last year.
Yu said he supported justice, the Republic of China and the Republic of China Army, and not a local faction.
Photo: Lee Jung-ping, Taipei Times
KMT by-election candidate Yen Kuan-heng (顏寬恒) yesterday accused Yu of “selling out his soul” for NT$3,000 — the fee for attending the talk show — and said that regardless of ideology, political parties must have a core idea that defines them.
“Without that central core, political parties are not that different from chain convenience stores,” he added.
Yu yesterday said that Yen, coming from a wealthy family, should not insult convenience store workers, who he said have to work hard for a living.
Lin thanked Yu for his support, saying that regardless of Yu’s previous party affiliation, she and Yu now agree “that we must resist the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] and protect Taiwan together.”
Yu had been a loyal KMT member for more than 30 years and hoped the party could change, Lin said, adding that Yen’s criticism of a former party member was unnecessary.
Yu had previously said that the KMT’s insistence on the so-called “1992 consensus” was detached from reality.
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said that Yu might have some misunderstandings about cross-strait relations, adding that he would gladly clarify the issues to Yu if given the chance.
The “1992 consensus” — a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the CCP that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday lavished US President Donald Trump with praise and vows of a “golden age” of ties on his visit to Tokyo, before inking a deal with Washington aimed at securing critical minerals. Takaichi — Japan’s first female prime minister — pulled out all the stops for Trump in her opening test on the international stage and even announced that she would nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize, the White House said. Trump has become increasingly focused on the Nobel since his return to power in January and claims to have ended several conflicts around the world,
REASSURANCE: The US said Taiwan’s interests would not be harmed during the talk and that it remains steadfast in its support for the nation, the foreign minister said US President Donald Trump on Friday said he would bring up Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) during a meeting on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in South Korea this week. “I will be talking about Taiwan [with Xi],” Trump told reporters before he departed for his trip to Asia, adding that he had “a lot of respect for Taiwan.” “We have a lot to talk about with President Xi, and he has a lot to talk about with us. I think we’ll have a good meeting,” Trump said. Taiwan has long been a contentious issue between the US and China.
Taiwan’s first African swine fever (ASF) case has been confirmed and would soon be reported to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) yesterday. The Ministry of Agriculture’s Veterinary Research Institute yesterday completed the analysis of samples collected on Tuesday from dead pigs at a hog farm in Taichung and found they were ASF-positive. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency Animal Quarantine Division chief Lin Nien-nung (林念農) said the result would be reported to the WOAH and Taiwan’s major trade partners would also be notified, adding that pork exports would be suspended. As of Friday, all samples
RSS