Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate, and his running mate, former representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), yesterday held their first campaign rally together in Hualien City, calling January’s election a fight for the survival of the country.
Taiwan has followed the right path under President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) over the past seven years, and the nation needs a leader who will keep it moving forward, Lai said.
After naming Hsiao as his running mate on Monday last week, the pair the next day registered for the Jan. 13 election.
Photo: Wang Chin-yi, Taipei Times
In a TV interview aired on Saturday, her first since returning to Taiwan for the campaign, Hsiao responded to concerns from opposition parties that keeping the DPP in power would lead to war with China, saying that all Taiwanese advocate peace and war would never be considered an option.
“Any candidate aspiring to win the election must approach this matter with the utmost responsibility,” she said.
“Our campaign team is also exercising great caution in strategizing how to increase Taiwan’s international support, ensuring that the current peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait can be maintained,” she added.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
In Hualien, Lai said he and Hsiao have an unwavering commitment to safeguarding Taiwan’s democracy, and pledged to align the nation with democratic societies worldwide.
The election boils down to a choice between democracy and dictatorship, he said, adding that voting for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) could diminish Taiwan’s democracy and sovereignty.
At a campaign event in Taipei, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the KMT’s presidential candidate, said DPP was resorting to ideological manipulation in its campaign.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
“Who could love Taiwan more than I?” Hou said.
“Lai pays lip service to loving Taiwan, while I show my love for Taiwan through my actions and with my life,” he added, alluding to his previous career as a police officer.
“The KMT is the party that could really safeguard Taiwan’s sovereignty, dignity and peace,” said Hou’s running mate, Broadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康).
Hou reiterated the party’s long-held warning to voters that the election is a choice between war or peace.
If the DPP wins the presidential election, it would likely lead to war with China, he said.
“That is why I joined the presidential race. My main goal is to protect Taiwan with my life, and to ensure cross-strait peace,” he said.
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), running with TPP Legislator Wu Hsin-ying (吳欣盈), did not hold a large campaign event, but instead attended a gathering with a group of young people in Taipei.
“I am still the strongest candidate among the opposition parties,” Ko said.
Regarding an alleged vote-allocation plan by the KMT to “save [Hou] and dump [Ko],” the former Taipei mayor said that “Taiwan is a nation full of surprises, and we will continue to strive for victory.”
Additional reporting by Huang Ching-hsuan
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
Temperatures are forecast to drop steadily as a continental cold air mass moves across Taiwan, with some areas also likely to see heavy rainfall, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. From today through early tomorrow, a cold air mass would keep temperatures low across central and northern Taiwan, and the eastern half of Taiwan proper, with isolated brief showers forecast along Keelung’s north coast, Taipei and New Taipei City’s mountainous areas and eastern Taiwan, it said. Lows of 11°C to 15°C are forecast in central and northern Taiwan, Yilan County, and the outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, and 14°C to 17°C
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
STEERING FAILURE: The first boat of its class is experiencing teething issues as it readies for acceptance by the navy, according to a recent story about rudder failure The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first locally built submarine, allegedly suffered a total failure of stern hydraulic systems during the second round of sea acceptance trials on June 26, and sailors were forced to manually operate the X-rudder to turn the submarine and return to port, news Web site Mirror Daily reported yesterday. The report said that tugboats following the Hai Kun assisted the submarine in avoiding collisions with other ships due to the X-rudder malfunctioning. At the time of the report, the submarine had completed its trials and was scheduled to begin diving and surfacing tests in shallow areas. The X-rudder,
RSS