Taiwan ruling party chief says will not run for president next year

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's ruling party chief said on Saturday he would not run for the president in January, raising the prospect that an independence-leaning opposition party might regain power and cast a shadow over ties with political rival China. Eric Chu, head of the China-friendly Kuomintang, had been considered the party's most promising contender to run against the opposition Democratic Progressive Party presidential hopeful Tsai Ing-wen. (Reporting by Faith Hung)