Chinese Nationalist Party Chairman (KMT) Ma Ying-jeou (
Ma made the remarks in a news conference at CKS International Airport yesterday morning upon his return from Europe.
Ma and a team of of Taipei City Government administrators went to Europe for 13 days to attract foreign investment for Taipei, visiting the UK, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Ireland.
Although the trip was for the city government, Ma consistently discussed cross-strait relations, which sparked criticisms back home.
To resolve the controversy over whether the KMT is in favor of Taiwan's independence or not, Ma spent some time at the news conference explaining that the party has never seen independence as an option, although some Taiwanese people may disagree.
"The people of Taiwan have different views on the political spectrum and each can have his or her say in a democratic society," Ma said. "The KMT maintains the status quo."
"I have never changed my stance on cross-strait relations. Ten years ago, I said that we should neither pursue immediate reunification nor permanent separation. Ten years later, I still hold the same opinion," Ma said.
"Taiwan should maintain the status quo and I don't think we can achieve either independence or reunification at this point," he said.
"Reunifying [with China] has to wait until the conditions of both sides turn mature and has to be consented by the people of Taiwan," Ma said.
The KMT leader also proposed a new political viewpoint for Taiwan -- "maintaining the status quo, calling a truce over the question of independence or reunification, opening up links with China and all of the people of Taiwan working together on these goals."
The KMT leader said he had come up with the viewpoint during his European trip.
"I think the bottom line of the status quo is President Chen Shui-bian's (
"I also opposed China's `Anti-Secession' Law, which is a change in the status quo," he said.
"Both sides should not change the status quo unilaterally. This is a policy that is supported by the US, Japan and China." Ma said. "I wonder why Taiwan is opposed to it. Wouldn't it be odd to create a surprise for our friends and make China feel strange?" Ma said.
He warned that Chen will have to accept the consequences of abolishing the National Unification Council as the opposition parties cannot do much about the proposal.
"Even though we are the opposition, we don't want to mess up Taiwan," Ma said.
"The US has made it clear that the president might have to take responsibility for the aftermath [of abolishing the council]. We hope to see the government stick to its five noes commitment and expend its energies on interaction between Taiwan and China," he said.
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
"[Ma and I] both believe that the status quo is the best choice for the country. As for options either for unification or for independence, it should be decided by the people in the future," he said.
People First Party (PFP) Legislator Chang Hsien-yao (
Democratic Progressive Party caucus whip Chen Chin-jun (陳景峻), however, said that Ma should realize the fact that China will never offer Taiwan its goodwill even though Taiwan reiterates the "four noes and one not" pledge.
"How many times has the president made the pledge since he took office in 2000? Regardless, China passed its Anti-Secession Law last year," Chen said. "We don't have to lower ourselves by sticking to the pledge."
Ma on unification
Dec. 13, 2005
In an interview in "Newsweek," Ma says the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) eventual goal is to unify Taiwan with China although the KMT has no time line for that goal.
Feb. 11
When asled by a student at a forum at Cambridge Universtiy, Ma says he agreed that Taiwan should not negotiate with China if Beijing does not remove the missiles targeted at Taiwan.
Feb. 13
Ma says he will not stop his efforts to seek peace with China, even though there are 700 missiles aimed at Taiwan. Only with continuous negotiations can a breakthrough be made in cross-strait peace, he says.
Feb. 14
The KMT runs a newspaper ad stating that "the KMT firmly believes that there are many options for Taiwan's future, be it reunification, independence or the status quo. Taiwan's future should be determined by its people.
Feb. 15
Ma defends the ad, saying that for some people in Taiwan, independence is an option, but it is not the choice of the KMT, which upholds "maintaining the status quo." "We would discuss the unification issue when the conditions become mature," Ma says.
Feb. 19
Ma says the KMT has never seen Taiwan's independence as an option and has been upholding "maintaining the status quo," which is not to pursue immediate unification or permanent separation.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit
RSS