Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) yesterday said that the KMT could sign a peace treaty with China if it returns to the Presidential Office after next year’s general elections.
Wu made the comments in an interview on morning radio show UFO Breakfast hosted by Tang Hsiang-lung (唐湘龍).
Earlier in the interview, Wu told Tang that the National Unification Guidelines, the implementation of which was suspended by former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), could be reactivated by the KMT.
Photo: CNA
Tang then asked: “If the KMT is again the ruling party after next year’s elections, would and should it usher in a kind of final cross-strait peace treaty?”
“[Former minister of culture] Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) recently wrote that we have waited seven decades for an end to the war,” Tang said. “In a sense, the Chinese Civil War has not ended, because there has been no final peace treaty. Do you think that there should be such a peace treaty?”
Wu said that, according to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), only the government or its authorized institutions can negotiate agreements with China.
“If the KMT has the opportunity to rule again, then we would have met the conditions stipulated by the law,” Wu said.
“Assuming talks between the two sides are successful, a KMT government would be within its rights to sign a cross-strait peace treaty,” he said.
Asked if the party needs to change its cross-strait policy, Wu replied in the negative, saying that the KMT would not shift its position on the so-called “1992 consensus,” which he credited for “years of peace and stability” across the Taiwan Strait.
The “1992 consensus” — a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Wu repeatedly refused to answer whether he plans to run for president next year, saying only that he has “a decision to make,” for which he did “not feel certain at present.”
Party unity, the chances of winning and fundraising are issues that he must consider before entertaining thoughts of a run for the presidency, he said.
The public would know his answer when registration for the KMT primary closes in May, Wu said, adding that he might decide not to run.
Separately yesterday, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesman Johnny Lin (林琮盛) said that “Wu’s so-called cross-strait peace treaty cannot guarantee peace; Taiwan’s sovereignty is the only foundation for building peace and stability.”
“The DPP stands fast in the defense of the sovereign independence of the Republic of China, Taiwan and the values of freedom, democracy and human rights,” he said.
Additional reporting by Su Fun-her
Nvidia Corp yesterday unveiled its new high-speed interconnect technology, NVLink Fusion, with Taiwanese application-specific IC (ASIC) designers Alchip Technologies Ltd (世芯) and MediaTek Inc (聯發科) among the first to adopt the technology to help build semi-custom artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure for hyperscalers. Nvidia has opened its technology to outside users, as hyperscalers and cloud service providers are building their own cost-effective AI chips, or accelerators, used in AI servers by leveraging ASIC firms’ designing capabilities to reduce their dependence on Nvidia. Previously, NVLink technology was only available for Nvidia’s own AI platform. “NVLink Fusion opens Nvidia’s AI platform and rich ecosystem for
WARNING: From Jan. 1 last year to the end of last month, 89 Taiwanese have gone missing or been detained in China, the MAC said, urging people to carefully consider travel to China Lax enforcement had made virtually moot regulations banning civil servants from making unauthorized visits to China, the Control Yuan said yesterday. Several agencies allowed personnel to travel to China after they submitted explanations for the trip written using artificial intelligence or provided no reason at all, the Control Yuan said in a statement, following an investigation headed by Control Yuan member Lin Wen-cheng (林文程). The probe identified 318 civil servants who traveled to China without permission in the past 10 years, but the true number could be close to 1,000, the Control Yuan said. The public employees investigated were not engaged in national
ALL TOGETHER: Only by including Taiwan can the WHA fully exemplify its commitment to ‘One World for Health,’ the representative offices of eight nations in Taiwan said The representative offices in Taiwan of eight nations yesterday issued a joint statement reiterating their support for Taiwan’s meaningful engagement with the WHO and for Taipei’s participation as an observer at the World Health Assembly (WHA). The joint statement came as Taiwan has not received an invitation to this year’s WHA, which started yesterday and runs until Tuesday next week. This year’s meeting of the decisionmaking body of the WHO in Geneva, Switzerland, would be the ninth consecutive year Taiwan has been excluded. The eight offices, which reaffirmed their support for Taiwan, are the British Office Taipei, the Australian Office Taipei, the
CAUSE AND EFFECT: China’s policies prompted the US to increase its presence in the Indo-Pacific, and Beijing should consider if this outcome is in its best interests, Lai said China has been escalating its military and political pressure on Taiwan for many years, but should reflect on this strategy and think about what is really in its best interest, President William Lai (賴清德) said. Lai made the remark in a YouTube interview with Mindi World News that was broadcast on Saturday, ahead of the first anniversary of his presidential inauguration tomorrow. The US has clearly stated that China is its biggest challenge and threat, with US President Donald Trump and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth repeatedly saying that the US should increase its forces in the Indo-Pacific region
RSS