United Microelectronics Corp founder Robert Tsao (曹興誠) resigned from his position on the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee and was not dismissed, contrary to some media reports, Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said yesterday.
At the third meeting of the committee, Tsao told President William Lai (賴清德) that he intended to resign, adding that he would continue to promote national security and sovereignty issues, Kuo said.
Ling Tao (凌濤), deputy chief executive officer of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) National Policy Foundation think tank, said that the National Security Bureau had asked Lai to remove Tsao from the committee over accusations that Tsao might have had links to a Chinese woman named Shan Zhonghua (單中華).
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Ling added that he had voiced his suspicions in February about Tsao being linked to Shan, which might have led to him being removed.
A NT$150 billion (US$5.14 billion) budget for whole-of-society defense resilience also might have contributed to Tsao’s exit, as he was the main proponent of the plan, but the legislature might have discovered it was too diffuclt to implement, Ling said.
Misplaced trust and overt involvement with Tsao made it difficult for Lai to distance himself from the businessman, but Tsao’s comments about becoming president prompted Lai to act, Ling said.
Tsao’s exit from the committee would undermine campaigns to recall KMT lawmakers, including a nationwide tour that began on Friday last week to foster support for recall bids, as he was a prominent supporter of both, Ling said.
Meanwhile, the nationwide tour, which was organized by the Safeguard Taiwan Anti-Communist Alliance, yesterday arrived in Taichung for a two-day visit.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Secretary-General Lin You-chang (林右昌), DPP Taichung chapter director Hsu Mu-kui (許木桂) and DPP Taichung City Council caucus whip Wang Li-jen (王立任) joined the group as it arrived.
Lin dismissed rumors that the DPP was concerned about Tsao being dominant in determining the candidates for next year’s city mayor and county commissioner elections.
The rumors originated from the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party, Lin said.
Whoever started the rumors understands nothing about the DPP or civic groups, he said.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiao-kuang and Su Chin-feng
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