Taipei, July 14 (CNA) Campaigns ahead of the 2024 presidential and legislative elections are ramping up across Taiwan, six months before polling day on Jan. 13, 2024.
Focus Taiwan, CNA’s English news site will, from Friday, regularly bring readers the latest on what’s happening on the campaign trail.
Members of the Taiwan Economic Democracy Union, a civic group established in 2014, urge the government to step up the scrutiny of Singapore-based Shopee, during a press conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei Thursday.
The group alleged the e-commerce platform is being used by China to pay internet celebrities and to bribe candidates in order to try and influence the outcome of the upcoming elections.
Meanwhile, tweets posted by Taiwan People’s Party Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (???) following recent comments by Vice President Lai Ching-te (???) that it was a long-term goal for Taiwanese presidents to be able to visit the White House sparked a clash of opinions between the two parties.
During a visit to Kaohsiung Wednesday Ko criticized Lai’s comments, saying that candidates are running to be the president of Taiwan, not to be a governor in the United States.
At a separate press event at the Legislative Yuan on Thursday, TPP Legislator-at-Large Chiu Chen-yuan (???) and party spokesperson Christina Yang (???) labeled Lai’s remarks as offensive and accused the DPP of hyping up anti-China sentiment in order to make the electorate believe their vote represents a choice between Beijing or Washington.
DPP Legislator-at-Large Chuang Jui-hsiung (???) told reporters that same day that, on the contrary, Lai’s comments were meant to communicate that the Taiwanese president visiting the official residence and workplace of the U.S. president would represent the elevation of Taiwan’s status in the world.
On Wednesday, Lai announced the last five candidates who will be running for seats in the Legislature.
They are namely DPP head of international affairs Hsieh Pei-fen (???) for Taipei’s 3rd Electoral District, village chief in Yonghe District Chuang Ming-yuan (???) for New Taipei’s 9th Electoral District, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Assistant Professor Tseng Sheng-kai (???) for the 2nd Electoral District in Hsichu County, Taichung City Councilor Hsieh Chih-chung (???) for the 8th Electoral District, and DPP deputy head for youth affairs Hsieh Tzu-han (???) for the 3rd District Electoral in Taichung.
Meanwhile, the main opposition Kuomintang’s (KMT) presidential candidate, New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih (???), on Thursday attended a members’ meeting of a federation that represents public sector workers, including policemen, firefighters and military personnel in Taipei.
Hou was joined by KMT Chairman Eric Chu (???), former Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (???) and Broadcasting Corporation of China Chairman Chao Shao-kang (???).
Chu told reporters that the KMT will not replace Hou with another nominee, in response to a rumor that some party members are still backing Hon Hai Technology Group founder Terry Gou (???) to replace Hou as the candidate.
Hou’s campaign manager King Pu-tsung (???) also dismissed the possibility of Hou pairing up with Ko in a bid to defeat the DPP’s Lai during a radio interview on Thursday.
King said “the different voices” in the KMT will dissipate after the KMT formally approves Hou’s nomination during the party conference on July 23.
