Taiwan's Ma resigns as KMT chairman(1/2)

Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou (C) shakes hands with members of the Central Standing Committee of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party after making an announcement to resign as the party's chairman in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan, Dec 3, 2014. Ma Ying-jeou stepped down as chairman of the KMT party, or the Chinese Nationalist Party, on Wednesday. According to the party charter, the island's deputy leader Wu Den-yih, who ranks first among the KMT's seven vice chairpersons, will serve as the acting chairman. Hung Hsiu-chu, who ranks third among the vice chairpersons, will serve as the acting KMT Secretary-General, replacing Tseng Yung-chuan who resigned on Saturday. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)