Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Julian Kuo (郭正亮), who is to return to the Legislative Yuan as an at-large lawmaker, yesterday denied allegations that he is pro-China, saying that his cross-strait stance is “almost the same” as the DPP’s.
Kuo has been named to replace DPP Legislator Wellington Koo (顧立雄), who has been appointed to head the Committee of Illegal Party Asset Settlement that was mandated by the Act Governing the Handling of Illegal Properties by Political Parties and Their Affiliate Organizations (政黨及其附隨組織不當取得財產處理條例), which took effect yesterday.
In a radio interview yesterday, Kuo said that his position on cross-strait relations is more or less the same as that of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and not much different from the DPP’s general position.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
He said that he has never supported the so-called “1992 consensus,” a term created by then-Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2000 to refer to a tacit understanding of “one China,” with China and Taiwan each having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
It will be exceedingly hard to cross the current impasse in cross-strait relations before the Chinese Communist Party’s 19th National Congress — which is scheduled for November next year, he said.
Criticism that he is “green on the outside and blue on the inside” or “China-leaning and opposed to Taiwanese independence” are “rubbish,” he said.
His disagreements with government are not meant to target Tsai or Premier Lin Chuan (林全), it is just that he questions whether government policy is too pro-US, he said.
“The DPP is a free and democratic party that tolerates the discussion of different ideas, but when the party’s Central Committee makes a resolute decision, it must be respected. After I return to the Legislative Yuan, I will have the opportunity to communicate directly with Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) and DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘),” he said.
Tsai and Lin are not opposed to the promotion of trade in goods with China, but they cannot use the so-called “1992 consensus” as the prerequisite for doing so, Kuo said.
Trade in goods across the Taiwan Strait is normally negotiated through the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), for which Kuo used to act as the DPP’s spokesman on the issue.
“When all is said and done, Taiwanese businesses cannot omit the Chinese market,” Kuo said.
Kuo has also come under criticism for a drunk-driving offense in February.
He took full responsibility for the incident and would not make the same mistake again, he said, adding that if he were to re-offend, he would resign.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and