Taipei: Taiwan's Legislative Yuan confirmed on Friday two Fair Trade Commission (FTC) nominees but rejected two others, including the body's incumbent chairperson.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government had nominated FTC Chairperson Lee May, Vice Chairman Chen Chih-min, and commissioner Hong Tsai-lung on October 30, 2024, to continue in their positions after their terms ended on January 31, 2025.

Lin Ching-tang, the incumbent head of the FTC's Department of Service Industry Competition, was also nominated as a new commissioner on the same day. Lawmakers from the DPP, the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), and two independents voted unanimously to confirm Chen and Lin to serve four-year terms as commissioners from February 1, 2025, to January 31, 2029. However, Lee and Hong were rejected by lawmakers from the opposition parties, who together form a majority in the legislative body.

Before the vote, TPP caucus whip Huang Kuo-chang stated that his party would reject Hong because of his actions related to the commission's consideration of PX Mart's acquisition of RT-Mart. Huang accused Hong of demanding that PX Mart donate NT$300 million (US$9.11 million) to sports and chess events as a precondition for approving PX Mart's acquisition bid, which Huang argued should have focused on consumer rights. Huang also criticized Lee for not intervening when Hong made these demands.

As a result, Lee received 52 votes from DPP lawmakers and Chen Chao-ming, an independent usually ideologically aligned with the KMT, while the remaining lawmakers cast opposing votes. Similarly, Hong was rejected with 51 votes in support from DPP members and 62 opposing votes from KMT (52) and TPP lawmakers (8) and two independents.