A new book in which former President Lee Teng-hui (
While Lien, now chairman of the KMT, expressed his regret for the renewed controversy raised by the book, it also raised speculation that the book's publication was aimed to block planned cooperation between the KMT and the People First Party (PFP), of which Soong is the chairman.
To be published tomorrow, the book An Account of Lee Teng-hui in Power (
"Lee Teng-hui's camp fully played a supporting role in order to help Lien Chan get elected successfully, but was made to take all the responsibility for the consequences," the book says.
The author further quotes Lee as saying that "those people who are aware of this fact shouldn't have made irresponsible remarks in the aftermath of the case," in a reference to Lien's subordinates.
Lien, who has denied ever forcing Lee out of the KMT chairmanship, said yesterday that for the KMT, the Chung Hsing case was a matter of the past and was nothing compared with the economic problems faced by Taiwan today.
"The past relations, disturbances and enmities between politicians aren't what concern most of the people. Who cares what was said?" KMT spokesman Wang Chih-kang (
Lien said Taiwan is facing a slowing economy, an event that has never occurred over the past decade, and there is now a saying circulating among the people that "Taiwan will be gone if the DPP wins over half of the legislative seats [in the year-end elections]."
Lien said the Chung Hsing case was closed when the KMT decided not to seek reconsideration of the prosecutors' decision not to indict Soong in February this year.
The case, in which the KMT filed charges against Soong for embezzlement and forgery, developed into a massive attack against Soong's presidential bid and was believed to be the major cause of Soong's defeat -- by a close margin -- by the DPP's Chen Shui-bian (
Lien's decision to drop the case was interpreted as a gesture intended to create an amicable atmosphere for KMT-PFP cooperation in the year-end elections and end to the battle between Lien and Soong.
KMT Legislator Yang Chi-hsiung (
Yang, from Ilan County, said evidence about the case was provided to him by a fellow countryman who worked in the Chung Hsing Bills Finance Corp.
"This, I swear, had nothing to do with Lee or Lien," Yang said.
New Party Legislator Elmer Fung (
"Back then, the KMT employed the powers of the Ministry of Finance, Investigation Bureau and Control Yuan [to dig up more evidence following Yang's expo-sure]," Fung said. "These government authorities heeded the order of only one person, who was Lee Teng-hui."
Fung, a pro-unification hardliner, said Lee's motive to publish the book now is to sow discord between Lien and Soong to prevent a union of the pan-KMT forces, accusing Lee of doing so to help the DPP so as to continue Lee's "dream of Taiwan independence."
Hwang Yih-jiau (
MILESTONE: The foreign minister called the signing ‘a major step forward in US-Taiwan relations,’ while the Presidential Office said it was a symbol of the nations’ shared values US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed into law the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, which requires the US Department of State to regularly review and update guidelines governing official US interactions with Taiwan. The new law is an amendment to the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 focused on reviewing guidelines on US interactions with Taiwan. Previously, the state department was required to conduct a one-time review of its guidance governing relations with Taiwan, but under the new bill, the agency must conduct a review “not less than every five years.” It must then submit an updated report based on its findings “not later
A trial run of the north concourse of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s new Terminal 3 is to commence today, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The eight additional boarding gates would allow for more aircraft parking spaces that are expected to boost the airport’s capacity by 5.8 million passengers annually, Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Kuo-shian (林國顯) said. The concourse, designed by a team led by British architect Richard Rogers, provides a refreshing space, Lin said, adding that travelers would enjoy the tall and transparent design that allows sunshine to stream into the concourse through glass curtain walls. The
The Presidential Office today thanked the US for enacting the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, which requires the US Department of State to regularly review and update guidelines governing official US interactions with Taiwan. The new law, signed by US President Donald Trump yesterday, is an amendment to the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 focused on reviewing guidelines on US interactions with Taiwan. Previously, the department was required to conduct a one-time review of its guidance governing relations with Taiwan, but under the new bill, the agency must conduct such a review "not less than every five years." It must then submit an updated
Taiwanese prosecutors charged Tokyo Electron Ltd for failing to prevent staff from allegedly stealing Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) trade secrets, escalating a dispute involving two Asian linchpins of a chip industry increasingly vital to national and economic security. Prosecutors indicted the Japanese company on four counts of contravening the Trade Secrets Act (營業秘密法) and the National Security Act (國家安全法), they said in a statement yesterday. They’re asking a local court to rule in favor of their request for Tokyo Electron pay a fine of up to NT$120 million (US$3.8 million) for failing in its duty to prevent the alleged
RSS