Brandishing a package representing the "burden" of the "one-China" policy, a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) member challenged his party and the Chinese government to officially let go of the policy yesterday.
"The KMT has plentiful experience as a ruling party and a large amount of outstanding political talent. However, with each election the party has lost more and more support. The main reason for this is that the party has long been burdened with the `one-China' policy," Taipei City Councilor and KMT Central Committee member Lin Chin-chang (林晉章) said at a press conference in Taipei.
He then mailed a large package that he said represented the policy and an explanatory letter to China's State Council. Yesterday was China's national day.
Not mainstream
At the press conference, held outside the KMT's Central Standing Committee meeting room, Lin said that the party's adherence to the policy leaves it unable to compete with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.
"The `one-China' policy is not in keeping with mainstream opinion among Taiwanese people," the legislative candidate said. Only by renouncing the policy will the party ever be able to regain its position as a ruling party, he said.
In his letter, Lin congratulated China on its national day and urged the government to renounce reunification and enter mutually beneficial negotiations on cross-strait issues. The letter also urged China to support the KMT's possible policy change, arguing that the KMT has paid a heavy price for its "one-China" policy and is considering dropping it.
Balance sentiment
Dropping the policy would not mean that the KMT supports Taiwan's independence, Lin's letter said. However, it would allow the party to stop being accused of "not loving Taiwan," Lin wrote in his letter.
Dropping the policy would make the KMT stronger and give it more power to balance spreading Taiwanese independence sentiments, the letter said.
Lin said yesterday that he had shown KMT Central Standing Committee members his letter and received positive responses from several.
"Many told me that they support letting go of the policy, but that they wouldn't dare say it out loud for fear of jeopardizing their political careers or for being accused of being pro-green. I told them that I'm willing to do this to shield the upper levels of the party from negative responses," Lin said.
His actions, however, failed to impress some KMT members.
"This is about the year-end legislative elections. It's true that the KMT has many issues to face, but I don't think Lin has the right to speak out like that," KMT Legislator Hsu Chung-hsiung (
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