Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) yesterday said that a qualification people should consider if he were to run for mayor of Taipei is whether he has properly controlled local COVID-19 outbreaks.
Chen made the remark on the sidelines of a news conference held by the Taiwan Public Health Association in Taipei.
Chen has been rumored as a possible candidate for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the Taipei mayoral election later this year.
Photo copied by Hsieh Chun-lin, Taipei Times
Chen has previously dismissed speculation about his interest in running for mayor by saying he is only focused on bringing the local COVID-19 situation under control, given his role as the head of the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
Former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) said on Thursday that Chen should resign as head of the center if he intends to run for mayor of Taipei.
When asked on Friday to respond, Chen did not reject the speculation.
“It’s quite complicated, but if I am able to run in an election, I will definitely resign with no doubt,” he said.
When asked yesterday if the remark meant that he is waiting for President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who is the DPP chairperson, to approve, Chen said: “My current duties are disease prevention and public health administration, and I would only become qualified for candidacy if I can appropriately handle these duties.”
Asked if he feels qualified to run for mayor, Chen said he is waiting to “see the light” indicating the end of the pandemic, adding that “March is still too early to see the light.”
Asked if he would run for mayor of Taipei if people feel “reassured,” Chen nodded his head twice before smiling and calling the question a “trap.”
There are many factors that need consideration before making a decision, and keeping the local COVID-19 situation under control is a basic qualification, he said.
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) hosted a dinner in Taipei last night with key Taiwanese suppliers to celebrate the successful mass production of the company’s new Blackwell AI systems. Speaking to the media earlier yesterday, Huang thanked Nvidia’s Taiwanese partners for their contributions to the company’s ecosystem, while also sharing his plans to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀). In response to rumors that Nvidia will launch a downgraded Hopper H20 chip for China in July, Huang dismissed the reports, saying, “That is not true.” He clarified that there
RSS