Former deputy legislative speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) yesterday urged Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members to stop blindly adhering to the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) definition of what constitutes “loving Taiwan,” saying that the KMT should remain a staunch upholder of the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution.
“Ever since [former president] Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) galvanized debates on Taiwan’s national identity two decades ago, the KMT has forfeited its right to interpret the meaning of ‘loving Taiwan,’” Hung said on Facebook yesterday.
Hung said the definitions proposed by the DPP have been the mainstream interpretations, regardless of whether the KMT was in power, forcing the party to follow and “honor the ideas with incense.”
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
“That, as far as I am concerned, is one of the major reasons contributing to the KMT’s disastrous defeat today,” said Hung, who is vying for KMT chairperson against three other candidates.
Hung made the remarks in a belated answer to the questions posted during Saturday’s debate held by pro-reform KMT members for candidates in the party’s Mar. 26 chairperson by-election.
She was the only chairperson hopeful who failed to attend the debate, citing conflicting schedules.
The event focused on questions regarding the participation of young people in the party; the positioning of the perceived outdated Huang Fu-hsing military veterans’ branch; the handling of party assets; the cross-strait relationship and the KMT’s core values.
Hung said that the concepts of “the ROC is on Taiwan” and “the ROC is Taiwan” stated in one of the questions were put forward by the KMT’s opponents and are detrimental to Taiwan.
“It would be unfortunate if the KMT chooses to believe that the party would not have a future unless it adheres to these notions. As the founding party of the ROC, we must continue to be a stalwart defender of the ROC Constitution,” Hung said.
Regardless of the predicaments that await the KMT, the party must uphold the Constitution and its regulations. The ROC holds sovereignty over all China and that the ROC government is merely on Taiwan at the moment, Hung said.
This should be the KMT’s unwavering stance and the party’s way of “loving Taiwan,” she added.
Hung said if the KMT thinks it has to abandon its core values and lean toward those of its opponents just because of two electoral defeats, “I wonder whether it would be a smart choice or rather a self-degrading behavior?”
Hung said the Huang Fu-hsing chapter has been the KMT’s most loyal friend and is by no means responsible for the party’s current position, which she said was caused by the party’s indecisiveness and cowardice.
She also pledged to handle the KMT’s remaining controversial assets in an open and transparent manner if elected chairperson, to stop the issue from being a weakness for the party.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS