While Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson and presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) cross-strait policy has recently been put in the spotlight, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) considers itself to have the upper hand in the issue, underscoring its continued adherence to the so-called “1992 consensus.”
While the DPP has settled on its presidential candidate, the KMT is mired in a nebulous situation where not a single party heavyweight has announced an intention to run for president.
However, a source from the pan-blue camp said that as the KMT’s cross-strait standpoint and policies are relatively clear, it would have an advantage over the DPP in being able to “stabilize the cross-strait relationship” without further explanations and clarifications.
The KMT is thus better than the DPP at promoting cross-strait trust and interaction, the source said.
The majority of Taiwanese support positive interactions and peaceful development, but oppose unpredictability between the two sides across the Taiwan Strait, according to the source, who added that many “economic voters” who travel between the two nations would be expected to think rationally.
“Economic voters” is a phrase used to refer to Taiwanese citizens who hold large financial stakes in China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) earlier this month described the “1992 consensus” as “recognizing that the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China,” to which the KMT did not respond directly.
However, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said in Hong Kong on March 9 that the KMT’s position on cross-strait relations is “sticking to the ‘1992 consensus.’”
The KMT is a fervent believer in the “consensus,” the source said, adding that it remains the foundation of cross-strait mutual trust.
Following Chu’s identification with the “1992 consensus” as the party’s guideline on cross-strait issues, a KMT party member said that the party can be sure that the future KMT presidential candidate — whoever that might be — would fall in line on this position, and the public would be able to distinguish the two parties by their respective cross-strait policies.
The “1992 consensus” refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party that both Taiwan and China acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what that means.
In 2006, then-KMT lawmaker Su Chi (蘇起) said that he created the term in 2000 when he was Mainland Affairs Council chairman.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest foundry service provider, yesterday said that global semiconductor revenue is projected to hit US$1.5 trillion in 2030, after the figure exceeds US$1 trillion this year, as artificial intelligence (AI) demand boosts consumption of token and compute power. “We are still at the beginning of the AI revolution, but we already see a significant impact across the whole semiconductor ecosystem,” TSMC deputy cochief operating officer Kevin Zhang (張曉強) said at the company’s annual technology symposium in Hsinchu City. “It is fair to say that in the past decade, smartphones and other mobile devices were
US-CHINA SUMMIT: MOFA welcomed US reassurance of no change in its Taiwan policy; Trump said he did not comment when Xi talked of opposing independence US President Donald Trump yesterday said he has not made a decision on whether to move forward with a major arms package for Taiwan after hearing concerns about it from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Trump’s comments on Taiwan came as he flew back to Washington after wrapping up critical talks in which both leaders said important progress was made in stabilizing US-China relations even as deep differences persist between the world’s two biggest powers on Iran and Taiwan. “I will make a determination,” Trump said, adding: “I’ll be making decisions. But, you know, I think the last thing we need right
TAIWAN ISSUE: US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said on the first day of meetings that ‘it wouldn’t be a US-China summit without the Taiwan issue coming up’ There were no surprises on the first day of the summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday, as the government reiterated that cross-strait stability is crucial to the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the world. As the two presidents met for a highly anticipated summit yesterday, Chinese state media reported that Xi warned Trump that missteps regarding Taiwan could push their two countries into “conflict.” Trump arrived in China with accolades for his host, calling Xi a “great leader” and “friend,” and extending an invitation to visit the White House
SECURITY: Taipei presses the US for arms supplies, saying the arms sales are not only a reflection of the US security commitment to Taiwan but also serve as a mutual deterrent against regional threats Taiwan is committed to preserving the cross-strait “status quo” and contributing to regional peace and stability, the Presidential Office said yesterday. “It is an undeniable fact that the Republic of China is a sovereign and independent democratic nation,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) reiterated, adding that Beijing has no right to claim sovereignty over Taiwan. The statements came after US President Donald Trump warned against Taiwanese independence. Trump wrapped up a state visit to Beijing on Friday, during which Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had pressed him not to support Taiwan. Taiwan depends heavily on US security backing to deter China from carrying
RSS