Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday said that, if elected, he would first ensure that Taiwan’s relationship with the US remains solid before attempting to open communications with China.
At a press conference, Ko was questioned about strained cross-strait relations and how he would navigate this situation alongside Taiwan’s ties with the US if elected.
Ko said that the US is Taiwan’s most important ally and also the most powerful country in the world.
Photo: Bloomberg
“We will definitely maintain a solid relationship between Taiwan and the US, and on that foundation, we will be open to starting communications with China,” he said at the press event, which was livestreamed on YouTube.
The TPP’s approach would involve prioritizing seamless communications with the US to prevent any unexpected developments, thereby establishing a foundation of mutual trust, he said.
Ko said he would work with Beijing whenever the opportunity for cooperation arises and will compete with China when necessary, as part of his strategy to navigate the tense cross-strait situation.
Ko, a former Taipei mayor who founded the TPP in 2019 and has won a passionate support base, especially among young people by putting issues like the high cost of housing and low wages at the center of his campaign, said Taiwan needs to break the traditional two-party mould to achieve real change.
Repeating one of his talking points on the campaign trail, Ko said the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has a “tendency to confront Beijing even in cooperative scenarios,” while the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) seeks cooperation with China even when the situation requires confrontation.
“Among the current trio of candidates, Ko Wen-je is the only person who is acceptable to both China and the United States. This is currently my biggest advantage,” he said.
Generally, Taiwan should express its willingness to engage in communications with China, while maintaining a non-negotiable stance on the preservation of its free and democratic political system and way of life, he said.
Ko said that no one should depend solely on the goodwill of another country for security, as part of his response to a CBS reporter’s question on whether he thought he could alter Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) objective of China’s unification with Taiwan.
“Taiwan must have the capacity to protect itself,” and as such, must prioritize “deterrence and communication” in its policy toward Beijing, Ko said.
“If it comes to a military confrontation, Taiwan will be no match for the mainland,” he said. “However, Taiwan must make it very clear to China that ‘if you choose to engage in conflict, you will have to pay a hefty price,’” he added.
Elaborating on his national defense policies, Ko said he would seek to increase Taiwan’s defense budget to 3 percent of GDP, above the record 2.5 percent the administration of President Tsai Ying-wen (蔡英文) proposed in its 2024 budget.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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