Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), widely seen as a top contender to lead the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), today dodged questions on whether she is to run in the party's upcoming chair election.
Asked about the race, Lu shifted focus to Tropical Storm Podul, which is forecast to pass over Taiwan between Wednesday and Thursday.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
"Preparing for the coming of Typhoon Podul is my top priority right now," she said upon arriving at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport from a trip to Australia, adding that she had monitored the storm's progress while in Brisbane.
Lu, also considered a leading KMT hopeful for the 2028 presidential election, began a week-long visit to eastern and central Australia on Tuesday last week, shortly after the White House announced a provisional 20 percent tariff on Taiwanese goods that took effect on Thursday last week.
Before her trip, she said such exchanges could help Taiwan "explore overseas markets other than the US."
Her itinerary focused on economic, trade, tourism and energy cooperation, the Taichung City Government said.
She met Brisbane Mayor Adrian Schrinner and city councilor Sandy Landers on Friday, later telling reporters she had "met with all the people we wanted to meet with and visited all the constructions as planned."
Speculation over Lu's interest in the chair race began earlier this year, when incumbent KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) appeared hesitant about seeking re-election amid strained opposition cooperation with the Taiwan People's Party and tensions with the administration of President William Lai (賴清德).
The KMT is to hold its chair election on Oct. 18, with registration set for Sept. 4 and 5, shortly after the second round of recall votes on Aug. 23 targeting seven KMT lawmakers.
Although Lu has not said if she will run, some interpreted remarks she made to Taiwanese expatriates in Australia on Saturday — stressing the concept of he (和), meaning peace and cooperation — as a sign she may sit out.
An anonymous source told the United Daily News that Lu may opt not to join the race to honor her pledge to complete her second mayoral term, which ends late next year.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
RSS