New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, yesterday vowed that safeguarding the human rights of Taiwanese in China is to be central to his cross-strait policy platform.
In a presentation of his proposed cross-strait and national defense policies at his campaign headquarters in New Taipei City, Hou also pledged to pass a cross-strait agreement supervisory draft act within a year of his election.
In addition, he vowed to reactivate the dispute-settling mechanism under the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) and resume cross-strait exchanges in the private sector, as well as dialogue between Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS).
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government failed to protect Taiwanese in China due to a suspension of cross-strait dialogue and negotiation over practical affairs, Hou said.
Lack of communication between Taiwan and China has also made it difficult to control risks brought by a rise in “unprovoked military harassment” from China’s People’s Liberation Army, he added.
Meanwhile, the DPP government has made “practically zero” progress in terms of passing the cross-strait agreement supervisory draft act, Hou added.
“I would prevent Taiwanese in China from being interrogated, detained or harassed without legitimate reason through the communication mechanism between the SEF and ARATS. Cases of the personal freedoms of Taiwanese being restricted would be reported within 24 hours,” he said.
“In addition, ways to handle cases involving administrative detention would be added to the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement,” Hou said, adding that he would sign similar judicial mutual assistance agreements with other countries as well.
Hou further pledged that any agreement signed during his administration would be overseen by the legislature, the judicial system and a cross-strait youth affairs committee.
The committee would be formed by people aged between 18 and 40, whose input would be reflected in his administration’s cross-strait policy, he said.
Hou said that his administration would announce a national security strategy within 10 months should he assume office, which would be guided by the principle of “deterrence, dialogue and de-escalation.”
In addition to continuing efforts to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, Hou said that he would engage in further trade negotiations with China after the cross-strait agreement supervisory draft act is passed.
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