Visions regarding the nation’s future and how to sustain economic growth were key issues at the three candidates’ final presidential platform presentations in Taipei yesterday.
The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate, Vice President William Lai (賴清德), said that Taiwan has success in exporting high-tech products throughout the world.
Under the DPP, Taiwan has made friends with many countries, while safeguarding its democracy, freedom and national sovereignty, he said.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
“My policy is to boost our trade with the world so that Taiwan has a strong presence in the international community,” Lai said, adding that he is the only candidate voters can trust to continue economic growth, as the other two are advocating over-reliance on China.
Lai said that the other two candidates have spoken on the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait and interacting with China, including restarting the cross-strait services and trade agreement, but “we must not go back to the old road of depending on China for economic growth.”
“Taiwan has the confidence to do business with many countries worldwide, and share our technology and products, while also safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty,” he said.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Lai also said that Taiwan should open up its financial sector and welcome international investment to become Asia’s leading center for fintech, which includes banking services, information security and business management.
New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, said that he and his party are following the Constitution and taking the middle road, as he castigated the other candidates for labeling the KMT as “pro-China.”
“Our party is not pushing for unification with China. If we are elected, we will certainly uphold Taiwan’s democracy and freedom,” Hou said.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
He also said that the KMT is against Taiwanese independence, but Taiwan’s future shall be decided by its 23 million citizens.
Taiwan People’s Party Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said the KMT and the DPP both could cause a conflict in cross-strait relations.
Taiwan should make friends with China, Ko said, adding that summits he organized with the Shanghai government when he was Taipei mayor was proof that he is capable of building relationships with Chinese leaders to negotiate cross-strait peace.
Taiwan should follow a “pragmatic diplomacy” to maintain its allies, but it must not return to the “dollar diplomacy of past KMT and DPP governments,” he added.
He is the only clean politician among the three candidates who is not tainted by corruption and “big money politics,” Ko said.
Ko also commented on a recent case in which a ninth grader stabbed a classmate to death, saying that there needs to be a more complete social safety net to protect young people, as well as better healthcare services.
Hou expressed sympathy over the incident and decried "deteriorating" conditions in schools, saying that strong law enforcement and punishments are needed to have a deterrent effect.
"As someone who started out as a low-level police officer, the things I hate the most are drugs, gangsters and illegal firearms," Hou said, calling for the age of prosecution to be lowered from 16 to 14.
Hou also urged for more checks against carrying weapons into school, saying that Taiwan should follow other countries in allowing police and school officials to search students and their personal effects to stop drugs, weapons and other illegal items from entering campus.
However, when carrying out a search, the whole process must be filmed and the parents must be present as witnesses, he added.
All three candidates talked about Taiwan’s healthcare, agreeing to raise wages for all healthcare workers, improve their workplace conditions, shorten their working hours and ensure government support to keep the National Health Insurance from insolvency.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old