# Taiwan's President, VP Shot **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 19, 2004, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwans-president-vp-shot/235182 "2004-03-19T11:31:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![swami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@swami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swami)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwans-president-vp-shot/235182/1 "2004-03-19T11:31:58Z")
> [@](#): > > TAIPEI, Taiwan - President Chen Shui-bian and his vice president were wounded Friday when shots were fired into their motorcade on the final day of campaigning for a landmark election and referendum that could be a turning point in Taiwan’s tense relationship with China. > > Chen was shot in the stomach and Vice President Annette Lu was hit in the right knee. Their injuries were not life threatening, said Chiou I-jen, secretary-general in the Presidential Office. [Official: Taiwan’s President, VP Shot](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040319/ap_on_re_as/taiwan_president&cid=516&ncid=716) ---
**Author:** ![swami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@swami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swami)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwans-president-vp-shot/235182/2 "2004-03-19T11:38:23Z")
[BBC](http://news.bbc.co.uk/) is now reporting this in their news flash. > [@](#): > > Latest: Taiwan’s President Chen leaves hospital after assassination attempt. More soon ---
**Author:** ![swami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@swami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swami)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwans-president-vp-shot/235182/3 "2004-03-19T11:50:14Z")
[Taiwan’s president shot at rally](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3548893.stm) - BBC article of the assassination attempt. [In pictures: Taiwan shooting](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/3549417.stm) - Picture #4 reveals the 11cm gash across Mr Chen’s stomach caused by the bullet. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwans-president-vp-shot/235182/4 "2004-03-19T12:23:02Z")
Disclaimer: What I’m about to say isn’t the most tactful thing ever, so let me preface it by stating that I’m glad they’re both okay. But why were the President and VP _in the same vehicle_? The American president and VP are **never** allowed to be within range of the same bullet! Even before JFK was assassinated; remember Johnson was in a different car? They never fly together, either! Taiwan, and any other country who does the same thing, please don’t take such risks! Do they have a suspect yet? ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwans-president-vp-shot/235182/5 "2004-03-19T12:52:59Z")
I may be nuts, but my primary suspect is the CCP. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwans-president-vp-shot/235182/6 "2004-03-19T13:25:25Z")
> [@Exgineer](#): > > I may be nuts, but my primary suspect is the CCP. what, and galvanise public support behind the incumbents shortly bbefore public elections? ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwans-president-vp-shot/235182/7 "2004-03-19T13:33:46Z")
Frankly, I think the independence referendum is a really stupid idea. Taiwan currently enjoys a _de facto_ sort of independence, and this attempt to formalize it does nothing except seriously piss off Beijing. So yeah, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the CCP were behind it if they figured the intimidation value exceeded any “galvinisation of support.” ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwans-president-vp-shot/235182/8 "2004-03-19T19:30:57Z")
> [@](#): > > The American president and VP are never allowed to be within range of the same bullet! Huh? I’m pretty sure I’ve seen pictures of these guys together. [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/images/environment/july-dec00/gore\_pres.jpg](http://www.pbs.org/newshour/images/environment/july-dec00/gore_pres.jpg) [http://fhss.byu.edu/POLSCI/DAVISR/Gore%20and%20Clinton.jpg](http://fhss.byu.edu/POLSCI/DAVISR/Gore%20and%20Clinton.jpg) [![](https://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/gen/resources/moneytrail/whdefense/clinton.gore.jpg) ](https://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/gen/resources/moneytrail/whdefense/clinton.gore.jpg) [http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/analysis/time/9609/02/clinton.gore.walking.jpg](http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/analysis/time/9609/02/clinton.gore.walking.jpg) [http://www.september11news.com/Sept11CheneyBushOpCtrWhHouse.jpg](http://www.september11news.com/Sept11CheneyBushOpCtrWhHouse.jpg) [http://www.cnn.com/interactive/allpolitics/0101/gallery.inauguration/5.bush.cheney.jpg](http://www.cnn.com/interactive/allpolitics/0101/gallery.inauguration/5.bush.cheney.jpg) [http://www.cnn.com/interactive/allpolitics/0102/bush.gallery/6.bush.cheney.hastert.jpg](http://www.cnn.com/interactive/allpolitics/0102/bush.gallery/6.bush.cheney.hastert.jpg) [http://www.authentichistory.com/images/attackonamerica/photographs/20010914-bush-powell-cheney.jpg](http://www.authentichistory.com/images/attackonamerica/photographs/20010914-bush-powell-cheney.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwans-president-vp-shot/235182/9 "2004-03-22T07:51:02Z")
I haven’t heard anyone in taiwan trying to blame the CCP. There are of course the KMT blaming the DPP, and the DPP blaming the KMT. If it turns out that the CCP tried to assassinate the President of Taiwan, doncha think it just might help the cause of Taiwan independance rather than hurt it? ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwans-president-vp-shot/235182/10 "2004-03-22T12:53:08Z")
Sure. I should have made it clear that I was just talking out of my butt. However, Beijing has been engaging in some pretty serious saber-rattling over the independence issue for months now, from moving troops and missle batteries around to “coincidentally” scheduling joint naval excercises with the French. This shooting was most likely the work of some lone wacko, but the behavior of the mainland over the referendum hasn’t been exactly rational.