The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday accused President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of supporting Taiwanese independence after the president allegedly referred to China as one of Taiwan’s “neighbors” in a speech.
Tsai made the comment in a pre-recorded message to the Ketagalan Forum — 2021 Asia-Pacific Security Dialogue, an event that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held on Tuesday.
“While we don’t seek military confrontation, and hope for peaceful, stable and beneficial existence with our neighbors, we will always defend our democracy and way of life,” Tsai said.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The KMT said in a news release yesterday that the party objected to her use of the word “neighbors.”
“‘Neighbors’ is a vague term that possibly infringes on the Republic of China Constitution and contradicts the cross-strait platform that Tsai declared when she took office,” the KMT said, accusing Tsai of referring to China as another country.
“The ‘neighbors theory’ is a rehash of the ‘two states theory’ and another provocation amid worsening cross-strait relations,” it said.
The “two states theory” refers to a remark that Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) made as president in 1977: “Cross-strait relations are a special state-to-state relationship.”
Before being expelled in 2001, Lee was one of the KMT’s most influential members.
The context of Tsai’s speech made it clear that “neighbors” included China, which is “tantamount to declaring Taiwanese independence,” the KMT said.
“Tsai has trampled the bottom line of the laws governing cross-strait relations and is stealing toward independence,” it said, adding that the comment would erode the public’s trust in her administration’s handling of Taiwan-China relations.
“The KMT calls on the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] to follow the Constitution and face real problems, which is the only way to find peace across the Taiwan Strait,” it said.
China should abandon the idea of using force against Taiwan, as the encroachment of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army on Taiwan’s territory has only served to alienate Taiwanese, the KMT added.
Asked for comment, Eric Chu (朱立倫), a former New Taipei City mayor who is running for KMT chairman, said: “It is not news that Tsai and the DPP support and promote Taiwanese independence, although she tries to pretend she doesn’t.”
“The more serious problem is the promotion of cultural Taiwanese independence and rewriting history with erroneous ideas,” Chu said.
Tomorrow, Chu, a former KMT chairman; Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung (張亞中); former Changhua County commissioner Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源); and KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) are to have a televised debate prior to the election.
Broadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), who earlier this year rejoined the KMT and expressed his hope to run in the 2024 presidential election, said that the party chair hopefuls must be prepared to clarify their stances on cross-strait policy, Taiwan’s role amid US-China relations and how to counteract the so-called “1450” — the nickname for the cyberarmy allegedly deployed by the DPP.
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