The reason for this doubt is because what Hou appears to have promised in the US vastly differs from the KMT approach of years past. If the party falls in line with Hou’s strategy and completely overhauls its foreign policy, then the candidate would have a better chance of keeping his campaign promises. The KMT is always holding Hou back, whether intentionally or unintentionally. The issue has been a hot potato for the KMT, let alone an easy question for Hou. Inside sources say that former KMT chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) originally proposed a “4Ds strategy” to Hou — defense, dialogue, democracy and deterrence.

Taiwanese bag three more golds at Asian GamesStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese athletes yesterday bagged three more gold medals at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, with wins in the men’s and women’s 3,000m speedskating relay and the men’s individual 1,000m canoe event. Taiwan’s Chao Tsu-cheng, left, and Chen Yan-cheng compete in the Asian Games men’s speedskating 3,000m relay G1 final in Hangzhou, China, yesterday. Taiwan’s Lai Kuan-chieh celebrates after winning the Asian Games men’s canoe single 1,000m final in Wenzhou, China, yesterday. The victory kept Taiwan’s streak alive of medaling in every Asian Games softball competition since the sport became an official Asian Games event in 1990. This year marks the first time the Asian Games have featured e-sports competitions.

Air denial, combat ability are key, MAC report saysCOAXING TACTICS: Beijing is enticing Taiwanese by providing opportunities to study in China, but this is simply a tactic for peaceful unification, the report saidBy Chen Yu-fu / Staff reporterPreservation of combat capabilities and air denial strategy are key countermeasures Taiwan can take against China’s military unification agenda, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said. To counter the CCP, Taiwan has to preserve its combat capabilities and leverage asymmetric warfare strategy, it said. It also pushes for peaceful unification by extending economic benefits to Taiwanese businesses and introducing other preferential policies, it said. As for the “unification by force” strategy, China might face challenges such as sluggish economic growth and national development issues, the report said. In response to the CCP’s peaceful and military tactics, the government should bolster regulatory, mental, strategic and military preparedness, it said.

Lazy ASE road safety punishes safe driversBy Shiao Fu-song 蕭福松The Average Speed Enforcement (ASE) system has been implemented at the 4.7km-long Siaoma (小馬) section in Taitung and the 2km Shueilian (水璉) section of the Hualien-Taitung Coastal Highway (花東海岸公路) since Sept. 1. Setting an ASE system at the Shueilian section has little effect on drivers, as the section is a mountain road and the ASE system there only covers 2km. Nonetheless, the full length of ASEs at the Siaoma section is 4.7km with a speed limit of 50km per hour. The setting of an ASE system not merely troubled residents but also seemed to be a rip-off. ASEs were meant to reduce illegal driving, but safe drivers have suffered from the “collective punishment.”Consequently driving has become a strange and unusual punishment in itself.

EDITORIAL: FSC should not pass the virtual buckThe Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) last week announced guidelines for virtual asset service providers (VASPs), six months after the Executive Yuan had tasked the regulator with overseeing virtual currency platforms and transactions to comply with rules against laundering and counter the potential financing of terrorism. Virtual assets are broadly defined as digital representations of value that can be traded and used for payments or investment purposes. A VASP is an entity or individual that provides services associated with virtual assets. In the long term, the commission should consider legislation or enhance its regulatory power to support healthy growth in the domestic virtual asset sector. The FSC must continue to review and adjust its regulatory measures on a rolling basis and accumulate feedback from domestic VASPs to ensure the sector’s long-term development.

EDITORIALL The ‘non-green’ clock is tickingWith just over 100 days to go until the presidential and legislative elections, talk about forming a “non-green” alliance to remove the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) from power has re-emerged among pan-blue supporters, refocused toward the goal of a “blue-white” cooperation. On Wednesday, Ko sarcastically asked what kind of cooperation the KMT had in mind, as it is unwilling to compete on polling results and insists on having its candidate run. Independent presidential candidate and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘), who had pursued the KMT’s presidential nomination and tried to “merge” with the TPP earlier this year, has had the lowest support in recent polls. Yet some TPP members are concerned that the party would no longer be able to influence legislative decisions if Ko truly were to work with the KMT. Some people also wonder whether Ko can persuade his mostly young demographic of supporters that collaborating with the KMT is not a betrayal of their ideals and expectations.

These airports could be used as bases for the Japan Self-Defense Forces to deploy troops and supply Taiwan with fuel and food in case of a contingency, the newspaper said. Yonaguni, New Ishigaki and Miyako airports with their 2,000m-long runways are difficult places to take off or land for heavy military transport aircraft including Japan’s Kawasaki C-2, capable of moving 100 people, it said. A civilian runway of 2,500m or more that is easy to use for defense purposes is a security asset for Japan, a senior Japan Self-Defense Force official was quoted as saying. The list of airports and ports to receive improvements is classified and its content is subject to change, it said. Japan has begun briefing local officials on its plans and ranking members of the government already visited Miyako over the matter of refurbishing Miyako Airport and the Port of Hirara, Nikkei said.

MOC participates in Travel ExpoSTORYTELLING: The ministry’s pavilion displays the history of Taiwan’s sugar industry, showing the crucial turning points in six key locations around the nationBy Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporterTaking inspiration from the culture of hand-shaken drinks, the Ministry of Culture (MOC) has organized travel itineraries in six locations famous for their sugar production at the Fall Travel Expo, tracing the history of the nation’s sugar industry. The ministry has a pavilion at the expo which tells the history of Taiwan’s sugar industry, documenting the crucial turning points and developments in Kaohsiung, Yunlin, Pingtung, Tainan, Changhua and Taitung. People look for bargains at the International Fall Travel Exhibition at Taipei World Trade Center Hall I yesterday. In other news, Tourism Administration Deputy Director-General Trust Lin (林信任) yesterday said that Taiwan hopes China would show goodwill regarding the plan to resume cross-strait tourism. Travel Agents Association chairman Hsiao Po-jen (蕭博仁) said the tourism industry hopes the government would lift all travel restrictions on cross-strait tourism.

Three organizations contributed to the report — the Taipei Architects’ Association, the Taipei Professional Civil Engineers’ Association and the Taipei Structural Engineers’ Association. The reports must be signed by supervisors and engineers of the construction work before being submitted to the Taipei Department of Urban Development. Double checking is required to guarantee construction safety. A system should also be introduced to help architectural design review and construction site inspections. Moreover, when the project is completed, they should assess construction quality with the architects, engineers, site managers and technicians.

Her remarks came a day after Ko said a TPP-KMT alliance is to happen in the election, but its form is still being discussed. New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi, left, and Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je shake hands at a documentary premiere in Taipei on Aug. 5. The integration would facilitate a shift from “hostility and confrontation” to “harmony and cooperation” in inter-party relations, she added. said the KMT and the TPP were seeking a middle ground for a possible collaboration, and the KMT would consider any suggestions with patience and empathy. KMT caucus convener William Tseng (曾銘宗) said that the move toward cooperation is driven by the people’s choice and that integration would succeed in spite of the obstacles and challenges.

Taiwan, India near deal on migration and mobilityBy Yang Chun-yu and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwan and India are close to signing a migration and mobility deal in a potential solution to the labor shortage across large swathes of the Taiwanese economy, an India-based newspaper said on Tuesday. Taiwan suffers from worker shortages in manufacturing, construction, household work, agriculture and fisheries, the sources said, adding that Taipei has been viewing India as a possible source of labor. Taiwanese officials expressed interest in northeastern India due to the similarities the region bears to Taiwanese culture and preferences in food, the newspaper cited them as saying. Taiwan and India have no official diplomatic ties, but there are representative offices which were mutually established in 1995, and both countries are bound by shared agreements on tariffs, taxes and investments. The nation also recruits workers from Malaysia and Mongolia, but without much success because only single-digit numbers of workers hailed from these countries.

Executive Yuan proposes firefighter billBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterThe Executive Yuan yesterday proposed an amendment to the Civil Servant Association Act (公務人員協會法) to safeguard firefighters’ rights, after a blaze and subsequent explosions at Launch Technologies Co’s plant at Pingtung Technology Industrial Park on Friday last week killed four firefighters and five civilians, and injured more than 100 people. They reiterated their appeal at a protest at the Executive Yuan yesterday morning and demanded to have their voices heard in the Cabinet meeting. They should be allowed to form a union based on the Labor Union Act (工會法), Huang said. “The Executive Yuan should also propose an amendment to the Public Servants’ Safety and Health Protection Act (公務人員安全及衛生防護辦法) to protect the safety of firefighters,” Chen said. “We have reached a consensus with the Examination Yuan to complete the amendment to the Civil Servant Association Act in one month and to have the amendment deliberated at the Legislative Yuan,” Lin said.

What Biden’s Xi remarks meanBy Paul Lei 雷顯威During a news conference in Vietnam on Sept. 10, a reporter asked US President Joe Biden about the possibility of China invading Taiwan. Biden replied that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is too busy handling major domestic economic problems to launch an invasion of Taiwan. China’s position in the world today is no longer what it was when Xi became president 10 years ago. This arrangement poses a new deterrent effect against Xi and his ambition to use military force against Taiwan. It makes Xi more cautious about the price that China would have to pay for attacking Taiwan.

Minister Wu returns from St Kitts and NevisBy Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporterMinister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) on Wednesday returned from Saint Kitts and Nevis, where he attended the celebration of the nation’s 40th anniversary of independence and signed an agreement to cooperate on training diplomatic personnel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. Wu presented Saint Kitts and Nevis Governor-General Marcella Liburd and Prime Minister Terrance Drew with personally written congratulatory letters from Tsai and Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), the ministry said. From left, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu, Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew and Saint Kitts and Nevis Minister of Foreign Affairs Denzil Douglas pose for a photograph in Saint Kitts and Nevis earlier this week. Wu thanked Saint Kitts and Nevis for its long-standing support of Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, the ministry said. During his visit, Wu signed an agreement on diplomatic personnel training, exchanges and cooperation with Saint Kitts and Nevis Minister of Foreign Affairs Denzil Douglas, which is an “important milestone” in the diplomatic relations, the ministry said.

Glum mood overshadows the Asian GamesReuters, HANGZHOU, ChinaChina hopes to make a splash with the Asian Games, which officially open tomorrow, but nationwide excitement has been muted as the economy sputters and some question the cost of the sporting extravaganza. Taiwan’s players celebrate their 1-0 victory over Indonesia at the Asian Games at Zhejiang Normal University East Stadium in Jinhua, China, yesterday. “People care more about their own lives and the Asian Games are not on the top of their list of concerns,” Yan said. “People just don’t care.”Taiwan goalkeeper Chiu Yu-hung, third right, celebrates with his teammates after their 1-0 victory over Indonesia at the Asian Games in Jinhua, China, yesterday. Chin Wen-yen scored two minutes after halftime and the team held on for their first Asian Games victory in 65 years.