Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) has reiterated the KMT’s historically close ties with the US, saying that the party continues to fight against communism and compete with the Chinese Communist Party regarding values and political systems, the KMT said in a statement yesterday.
Chu, who is on an 11-day trip to the US, made the remarks during a visit to the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in California on Thursday, and highlighted that the KMT and the US share memories of fighting side by side.
The US and China, which was ruled by the KMT at the time, were allies during World War II, and more than 250,000 US personnel served in what was known as the “China-Burma-India” theater.
Photo: CNA
The KMT has fought against communism for the past 100 years and in bloody battles to defend Taiwan, but is still willing to maintain exchanges with China’s private sector, Chu said.
While at the Hoover Institution, Chu met with US experts and academics, including political sociologist Larry Diamond and political scientist Kharis Templeman, discussing issues related to cross-strait security and relations.
The US academics raised concerns about Taiwan’s local government elections at the end of the year, to which Chu expressed cautious optimism, the KMT said in the statement.
In addition to controlling more than two-thirds of the counties and cities in Taiwan, the KMT would field outstanding candidates to challenge for the municipalities, counties and cities that it does not control, Chu said.
At a press event with Taiwanese media in Washington on Sunday, Chu said he would reopen the KMT’s representative office in the US after 14 years.
Chu said the KMT, Taiwan’s main opposition party since 2016, had not had a voice in Washington since the closure of its representative office, and the aim of reinstating it was to enable the US to better understand the party’s position and the different voices of Taiwan.
The chairman is to attend a plaque-unveiling ceremony to reopen the KMT’s liaison office in Washington tomorrow. The party closed it in 2008 shortly after the election of Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) as president.
Asked if the move was in any way linked to him possibly running for the presidency in 2024, Chu rejected the idea, saying that it was part of his job as the party chairman to engage in party politics.
Reopening the office would also establish a communications channel with the US for future KMT presidential candidates, Chu added.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
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