The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) will open its remaining controversial party asset, Central Investment Co, to a fourth public bid on Jan. 25 in an attempt to fulfill one of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) promises. Ma, who doubles as KMT chairman, said the party would no longer run any businesses.
The KMT failed in its three previous attempts to sell the company, in 2006, in February 2009 and in June last year. The company has a net worth of about NT$20 billion (US$619 million) and is the last of the KMT’s most controversial assets, following the sale of its Institute on Policy Research and Development building, three media outlets and its former headquarters.
Central Investment Co chairperson Huang Yi-teng (黃怡騰) said yesterday that there were five firms that obtained bidding documents for the company last month and that it would find its bidder through a public bidding process.
Huang declined to reveal the identities of the bidders, but said the company would categorically reject Chinese investors to avoid unnecessary political associations and any companies with bad records.
Unloading illicit assets was a major promise made by Ma when he first assumed the KMT chairmanship in 2005. The KMT sold the building housing the Policy Research and Development for NT$4.3 billion and three media assets — China Television Co (CTV), Broadcasting Corporation of China (BCC) and the Central Motion Picture Co (CMPC) — to the China Times Group for NT$9.3 billion in 2005.
Ma had promised in December of 2009 that the party would propose a final solution to the illicit party assets issue, but he emphasized that did not mean the KMT would no longer have any assets.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
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SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
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