Taipei Mayor Ko-Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday said that he respects political commentator Yao Li-ming’s (姚立明) plan to support Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Pasuya Yao (姚文智) if he runs for Taipei mayor this year.
Yao Li-ming, who was Ko’s chief campaign director during the 2014 election, made the remark during a television interview with political talk show host Cheng Hung-yi (鄭弘儀) on Tuesday.
“I think Pasuya Yao will be a good mayor,” he said. “Whether he gets nominated by his party or not, if he decides to run for election, I am willing to be his chief campaign director.”
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Pasuya Yao responded on Facebook that night that he felt like he “has seen blue skies after rain.”
He said he hoped he could show the DPP and its supporters what “Taiwanese values” signify if he becomes mayor.
Ko, who is visiting the Netherlands, was asked by Taiwanese reporters whether he would still ask Yao Li-ming to assist him.
“Strategically speaking, there should be more friends and fewer enemies,” Ko said, adding that it is important to always leave room for cooperation.
In related news, online news outlet Storm Media on Monday reported that Ko had instructed city officials to blacklist one of its reporters for reporting on why former Taipei Department of Tourism and Information Commissioner Chien Yu-yen (簡余晏) resigned and details about the city’s preparations for the Lantern Festival.
Ko denied blacklisting the reporter, but said that 30 percent of the reporter’s story was false,” which caused trouble and affected mutual trust.
He added that he told city officials ought to be aware of unusual news leakages.
Ko’s action was criticized by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
“An elected official, especially the mayor of a major city, should not be so quick to disparage the media, whose work is essential for democracies to function well,” Taipei-based East Asia bureau head Cedric Alviani said in a statement on the RSF Web site on Tuesday.
Ko yesterday said that news reporters are not professional if they do not check facts or seek balance in their stories.
While reporters have the right to interview, people also have the right to be interviewed, the mayor added.
Ko said he would deal with the issue when he returns to Taiwan.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
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