Eight more James Soong (
Those on the expulsion list included former Legislative Yuan Speaker Liu Sung-fan (
Former deputy director of the Government Information Office Yen Jung-chang (顏榮昌) was also on the list, as he is now a spokesman for the independent candidate.
The others are all leading strategists or supporters of Soong, who was stripped of party membership in November after insisting on running without the KMT's nomination.
"Committee members unanimously agreed to revoke their memberships," said Chien Wei-chang (
In response, Liu said the Soong camp is very likely to win the election.
Former justice minister Liao Cheng-hao (
A total of 36 people have been expelled from the KMT so far for openly supporting the popular former Taiwan governor.
Soong has taken the lead in some recent public opinion polls -- showing signs of recovering from a financial scandal which had dragged his support rating to below 30 percent and threatened to derail his campaign.
In a survey conducted by a local paper on Friday, 23 percent of the 1,359 people polled said they would vote for Soong and his running mate, cardiologist Chang Chao-hsiung (
Rivals Chen Shui-bian (
The KMT's presidential candidate, Vice President Lien Chan (連戰), and his running mate Premier Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) received only a 19 percent support rating.
However, 36 percent of respondents said they were still undecided, according to the poll.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in
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