Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday said that while he would reference President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) US and national defense policies, his policies on domestic affairs and cross-strait relations would be more moderate and rational if elected.
After Ko on Wednesday said during an interview that he would pursue Tsai’s national defense and foreign policies, a number of people have questioned why they should not just vote for Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate who has pledged to follow Tsai’s direction for his foreign policies.
In response, Ko yesterday wrote on Facebook that “although I agree on maintaining a good relationship with the US and the need for sufficient self-defense capability, I do not agree with President Tsai’s handling of cross-strait relations and internal affairs.”
Photo courtesy of the Taiwan People’s Party
Of the DPP leaders, Tsai leans most toward the middle of the political spectrum and has even been challenged by the party’s pro-independence groups as “not being pro-independence enough,” with one of the challengers being Lai, who competed with her in the party primary in 2019, he said.
Tsai has been devoted to improving relationships with allies and bolstering Taiwan’s military self-reliance, which he recognizes and would continue to seek, but the deadlock in cross-strait relations should be re-examined, he said.
“The leader elected in 2024 should follow the middle path to maintain Taiwan’s autonomy and should also be able to communicate with China and the US,” he wrote, adding that Tsai carries the DPP’s burdens and could not achieve what she wanted, so he questions whether Lai could.
Ko said if Lai is no longer a pragmatic political worker for Taiwanese independence due to pressure from the US, then he thinks that Lai is essentially a “Taiwanese independence liar” that has used the claim to deceive supporters and garner votes.
Ko said he would reference Tsai’s US and national defense policies, heading toward Taiwan’s autonomy, but seek a moderate and rational path for internal affairs and cross-strait relations, resuming communication with the other side of the Taiwan Strait and establishing a trustworthy dialogue system between the two countries if elected.
A decision to describe a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Singapore’s Taiwan policy as “erroneous” was made because the city-state has its own “one China policy” and has not followed Beijing’s “one China principle,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) said yesterday. It has been a longstanding practice for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to speak on other countries’ behalf concerning Taiwan, Tien said. The latest example was a statement issued by the PRC after a meeting between Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on the sidelines of the APEC summit
Taiwan’s passport ranked 34th in the world, with access to 141 visa-free destinations, according to the latest update to the Henley Passport Index released today. The index put together by Henley & Partners ranks 199 passports globally based on the number of destinations holders can access without a visa out of 227, and is updated monthly. The 141 visa-free destinations for Taiwanese passport holders are a slight decrease from last year, when holders had access to 145 destinations. Botswana and Columbia are among the countries that have recently ended visa-free status for Taiwanese after “bowing to pressure from the Chinese government,” the Ministry
‘SIGN OF DANGER’: Beijing has never directly named Taiwanese leaders before, so China is saying that its actions are aimed at the DPP, a foundation official said National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) yesterday accused Beijing of spreading propaganda, saying that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had singled out President William Lai (賴清德) in his meeting with US President Joe Biden when talking about those whose “true nature” seek Taiwanese independence. The Biden-Xi meeting took place on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peru on Saturday. “If the US cares about maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait, it is crucial that it sees clearly the true nature of Lai and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in seeking Taiwanese independence, handles the Taiwan question with extra
HEALTHCARE: Following a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling, Taiwanese traveling overseas for six months would no longer be able to suspend their insurance Measures allowing people to suspend National Health Insurance (NHI) services if they plan to leave the country for six months would be abolished starting Dec. 23, NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday. The decision followed the Constitutional Court’s ruling in 2022 that the regulation was unconstitutional and that it would invalidate the regulation automatically unless the NHIA amended it to conform with the Constitution. The agency would amend the regulations to remove the articles and sections that allow the suspension of NHI services, and also introduce provisional clauses for those who suspended their NHI services before Dec. 23, Shih said. According to