Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je and a Taipei City Government delegation are continuing their tour of Europe. With regards to Kaohsiung City Mayor Han Kuo-yu visiting fish markets before the Chinese New Year holiday to see how production and sales are going and whether that could ease an impeachment motion against him, Ko said everyone should stop asking him questions about Han. He then changed the topic to how wonderful his policy of Taipei City Government personnel starting the workday at 7:30 a.m. is. As for Myanmar's recent statement reiterating its support of the one-China principle and belief that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China's territory, Ko said Taiwan does not need to identify itself using other people's definitions.


During his tour of Europe, Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je has been taking in the sites but also spending a lot of time giving the media his take on current events. Asked about Kaohsiung City Mayor Han Kuo-yu's recent visit to a fish market, Ko shrugged it off as something Han should be doing anyway and started talking about his policy of holding daily office meetings at 7:30 a.m.

Stop asking me questions about Han Kuo-yu. But it's like this: In general, every mayor or magistrate probably visits wholesale markets before Chinese New Year. So honestly speaking, if I just start the day half an hour earlier, I can save at least 15 minutes every day from the time wasted (sitting in traffic). So, that's why I discovered that 7:30 meetings are pretty good.

Ko's wife recently criticized the Democratic Progressive Party for only talking about "Taiwan's impending doom" and not doing anything to protect people's livelihoods. Ko denied this was her paving the way for a presidential run by him in 2024.

He was then asked about Myanmar's recent statement reaffirming its commitment to the one-China principle. Ko said Taiwan can set its own identity.

I'm guessing Myanmar would say this because it recently took aid or loans from China. Taiwan's identity doesn't need to be based on other people's definitions. So, we can define for ourselves who we are. Strengthening national power has always been the most basic condition for a country seeking to exist in the international community.

Five lawmakers from Ko's Taiwan People's Party will enter the legislature in February. The party is looking for caucus assistants and has been criticized for offering a monthly salary of just NT$35,000. Ko says he hopes to raise the salary by hiring as few assistants as possible.



參觀芬蘭阿黛濃藝術博物館典藏的古典藝術品，再到Oodi中央圖書館參訪，台北市長柯文哲汲取國外經驗，充實市政，但也不忘天天回應時事，維持媒體聲量。對於高雄市長韓國瑜春節假期前，一早到魚市場關心產銷，被外界解讀藉由實際行動，緩解罷韓壓力。看在自豪每天早上7點半上班開晨會的柯文哲眼裡，只是該做的事。

台北市長 柯文哲表示：「韓國瑜的事，拜託不要問我，不過是這樣啦，一般大概每個縣市首長，在過年前，都會去視察批發市場。所以老實講，我只要早半個鐘頭，每天可以省下至少15分鐘，在馬路上浪費(塞車)的時間，所以後來發現七點半開會還不錯。」

至於太太陳佩琪在臉書批評民進黨賣芒果乾，豈可護國保民，被解讀在為柯文哲2024舖路，雖然柯文哲撇清，陳佩琪講的話和2024沒有關係，但針對近期中緬聯合聲明，緬甸重申奉行一中政策，引起國內朝野撻伐，柯文哲強調，只有台灣可以定義自己是誰。

台北市長 柯文哲表示：「我猜緬甸會講這個，應該是它最近是有拿中國的援助，或是有去貸款。台灣是誰，不需要別人來定義它，所以還是只有我們自己，可以定義我們是誰，厚植國力，本來就是任何一個國家，在國際上求生存，最基本的條件。」

而身為民眾黨主席的柯文哲，二月將領軍五位準立委入國會，最近徵求黨團助理，開出的薪資條件三萬五起跳，被嫌低於行情，柯文哲表示希望達到最低聘用助理員額的標準，雇用少點人，拉高薪水。未來民眾黨是否為國會帶來新氣象，將會是新會期各界關注焦點。