Next year’s presidential election is a choice between peace or war, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers said yesterday.
“The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) cross-strait policy these past few years has been one of confrontation, not dialogue, one of preparing for war and not avoiding war,” KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) said, adding that the policy has brought cross-strait relations to the brink of war.
Lai said that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has spoken of maintaining regional stability, while Vice President William Lai (賴清德) has said that he would not let war happen.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
“However, how are people to believe promises made by politicos from a party that likes to lie and plagiarize theses?” he said, alluding to allegations of academic plagiarism involving several DPP politicians leading up to last year’s local elections.
“Removing the DPP from power is the mainstream opinion, the hope of not having a war is also the goal of the whole Taiwan,” he added.
For security’s sake, Taiwan needs to prepare for combat, while avoiding war from happening, Lai Shyh-bao said.
“However, what the Tsai administration has been doing now is 100 percent preparing for war,” he said.
“More exchanges are needed to avoid war, but as soon as [we] engage in cross-strait exchanges, the Tsai government would paint you [the opposition] with a pro-China brush,” he added.
KMT Legislator Wu Sz-huai (吳斯懷) said that the greatest common denominator is pursuing peace and avoiding war.
“However, that cannot be achieved with slogans only. Concrete actions are needed,” he said. “Yet what we see the direction of the Tsai administration these past few years, which has only been focused on beefing up its readiness for war.”
New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the KMT’s presidential candidate, said at the launch of his campaign in June that peace is the main focus of next year’s presidential election.
Concern over cross-strait peace was the reason he decided to run for president, as only when there is peace can Taiwan develop sustainably, he said at the time.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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