Saying Taiwan was an independent sovereignty and its constitutional name is the Republic of China, Su underlined the importance of Taiwan consciousness and supported the writing of a constitution that is suitable, viable and relevant to the needs of Taiwan's people.
Facing criticism from Yu that he had tried to team up with Ma to try to force Chen out of office at the height of last year's anti-Chen campaign, Su said it was untrue and that he did not meet Ma to discuss the matter.
The second half of yesterday's debate began with a question from Soochow University professor Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政), who asked how the three DPP candidates proposed to deal with the issue of Chen's "four noes and one without" promise to the US.
Yu said that the Taiwanese people's future and the nation's legal rights cannot be limited by any agreement or promise made with a foreign country.
"I think the issue is an internal one and only the Taiwanese people have the right to decide their own future," Yu said. "I believe that as long as the final decision is done using democratic mechanisms, it will definitely win support from the majority."
Hsieh said that the president's "four noes, one without" promise to the US had been made under political pressure and was therefore understandable.
However, like Yu, he said he would not make any deal with a foreign country without first obtaining the endorsement of the Taiwanese people, while he would also do his best to maintain friendly relationships with Taiwan's allies.
"After the `four noes, one without' promise was made, the US did not give us more space to survive in the international community. China will never recognize us as an entity," Hsieh said.
Su's remarks echoed those of Yu and Hsieh. He said that the decision to agree to such a promise must be based on a decision made by all Taiwanese people.
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