Eric Chu (朱立倫), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) candidate for the year-end election in Sinbei City, and Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) of the KMT, who is seeking re-election, yesterday pledged to work together to clean up the Tamsui River (淡水河).
Accompanied by Taipei County Commissioner Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋) — also of the KMT — Hau and Chu visited the Fujhou Artificial Wetlands (浮洲人工濕地) by Fuchou Bridge in Taipei County.
The trio promised to dredge the river that runs through Taipei City and Taipei County (soon to be upgraded to Sinbei City).
Chu and Chou also denied rumors that they did not get along.
The denial came in the wake of a report in the Chinese-language China Times yesterday that quoted an unnamed adviser to Chu as saying that they did not expect Chou to help them during the election campaign because of strained relations.
Although Chou initially indicated an interest in running in Sinbei City, his lackluster performance and falling poll figures saw the KMT nominate Chu instead.
Chu denied ever making disparaging remarks about Chou, blaming such report on unsubstantiated media speculation.
Chou laughed off the report, adding that he and Chou were good friends. He said he did not understand why the media was going to such lengths to create dissension between them.
“There is an old saying ‘a dead pig does not fear hot water’ [meaning he doesn’t care],” Chou said.
“I don’t have any expectations about my political career, but I do hope this election will be harmonious and democratic. I don’t think voters want to see politicians bicker with each other or instigate discord,” he said.
Asked whether Chu had invited him to serve as his campaign manager, Chou said it was not important if he was offered a position, as Chu would have his own ideas on how to run the campaign.”
Chu said it was too early to form a campaign team, as he was still familiarizing himself with Sinbei City.
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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