Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
After learning that Wang was on a trip yesterday to his hometown of Kaohsiung to consult with supporters about the possibility of entering the chairmanship race, Ma said he has never expected to run unopposed, adding that having more candidates enter the race is better for the KMT because it means more people are interested in serving the party.
Noting that the KMT would begin candidate registrations after March 21, Ma said he would announce his candidacy in April, at which time he would begin seeking the sponsorship of party members to enter the race.
Meanwhile, Wang said yesterday that he still has to decide over the next few days whether he should run for the KMT chairmanship, but that if he does, the campaign would be rational and peaceful.
The politically-savvy speaker made the remarks while attending a ceremony marking the establishment of the "Friends of Jin-pyng in Kaohsiung County" support group. A similar group was established in Pingtung County the same day.
Wang said earlier that he wants incumbent KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
Wang, a legislator for 10 consecutive terms, expressed appreciation to his supporters, saying that the party, after losses in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, has faced a number of problems.
Wang also said he will consider whether he is fit to serve in the post, to continue the reforms started by Lien, integrate the KMT and its two splinter parties -- the New Party and the People First Party (PFP) -- and to deal with the controversial issue of party assets and inject new blood into the party to make it "Taiwanese."
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) put Taiwan in danger, Ma Ying-jeou Foundation director Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said yesterday, hours after the de facto US embassy said that Beijing had misinterpreted World War II-era documents to isolate Taiwan. The AIT’s comments harmed the Republic of China’s (ROC) national interests and contradicted a part of the “six assurances” stipulating that the US would not change its official position on Taiwan’s sovereignty, Hsiao said. The “six assurances,” which were given by then-US president Ronald Reagan to Taiwan in 1982, say that Washington would not set a date for ending arm sales to Taiwan, consult
A Taiwanese academic yesterday said that Chinese Ambassador to Denmark Wang Xuefeng (王雪峰) disrespected Denmark and Japan when he earlier this year allegedly asked Japan’s embassy to make Taiwan’s representatives leave an event in Copenhagen. The Danish-language Berlingske on Sunday reported the incident in an article with the headline “The emperor’s birthday ended in drama in Copenhagen: More conflict may be on the way between Denmark and China.” It said that on Feb. 26, the Japanese embassy in Denmark held an event for Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s birthday, with about 200 guests in attendance, including representatives from Taiwan. After addressing the Japanese hosts, Wang
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