Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers expressed doubt yesterday over Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) plan to push for a more open cross-strait policy if he is elected next March.
In an interview with Singapore's English-language Straits Times that was published on Monday, Hsieh said he favored broader cross-strait economic exchanges as long as Taiwan's sovereignty remained secure.
Hsieh agreed with allowing more Chinese investment and tourists to enter Taiwan, as well as with the establishment of direct shipping and air links to help slash business costs, the newspaper quoted him as saying.
Hsieh gave the interview during his visit to Singapore on Aug. 12.
CRITICISM
KMT caucus whip Kuo Su-chun (
"Hsieh should have implemented the policies [he is promoting] when he was premier," Kuo said.
While President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) played a bad cop role by promoting independence, Hsieh was trying to play the good cop and was lying to get votes, Kuo said.
KMT Legislator Su Chi (蘇起) said Hsieh would fail to put his ideas into effect unless he could get his DPP colleagues to accept them.
Su described Hsieh as the "tenor" of the DPP in terms of setting up cross-strait direct transportation links, saying he would be opposed by other DPP members.
"I wonder how long Hsieh can continue with his solo effort on this, but no one objects in the KMT to direct cross-strait transportation links," Su said.
KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (
"It's a good thing that Hsieh is making policies that are closer to mine. I hope that he won't change his mind later in order to please deep-green supporters," Ma said during a visit to Hsinchu County yesterday.
Ma criticized Chen for making the same promises when elected in 2000 but failing to implement them. He also challenged Hsieh's promise to open direct flights.
HSIEH RESPONDS
Responding to Ma, Hsieh said yesterday that he had been consistent on the direct links.
"When I was premier, I was supportive of cross-strait charter flights and I will continue that course," Hsieh told reporters.
Opening direct links through charter flights was a way to avoid the controversy over whether the cross-strait flights should be defined as a domestic or international route, Hsieh said.
He said he would gradually expand charter flight services from the Lunar New Year holidays to weekends and even daily flights, making direct links an eventual reality.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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