Taiwan's national status is the most critical issue in the March presidential poll, so candidates of both parties should come out with a clear stance on the issue, Examination Yuan President Yao Chia-wen (
Yao made the remarks while giving a speech analyzing the meaning of presidential polls to the nation's democratic development at a meeting with Taiwanese expatriates in Baltimore, Maryland.
Claiming that national status, rather than the economy, is the core issue of the March election, Yao said both Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) president candidate Frank Hsieh (
"Neither Hsieh nor Ma can shirk the issue," Yao said.
Ma has maintained that the economy is the central point of the poll, while Hsieh has been seeking to sway swing voters.
Both Hsieh and Ma have to tell voters clearly whether Taiwan's national territory also includes China and characterize the nature of Taiwan-China relations as domestic or international, Yao said.
He said he strongly doubts that Ma could promote direct cross-strait transportation links if elected president because Beijing insists that Taiwan-China routes are domestic.
"I doubt that Ma, in his capacity as head of state, would dare to sign documents that downgrade Taiwan's status to that of a Chinese province to approve direct cross-strait flights," Yao said.
"Taiwan would become an entirely local Chinese government if Taiwan deals with ensuing complex problems, such as labor affairs and academic diploma verification, in a similar way," Yao said.
The DPP and KMT must make it clear to voters how they will deal with China, because this is the critical point in matters concerning Taiwan's safety and development, he said.
He said that, in the face of constant calls to maintain the "status quo," the US and international community have to clearly define what the "status quo" is.
The DPP's planned referendum on joining the UN under the name "Taiwan" is aimed at safeguarding the cross-strait "status quo" and making the world recognize that "Taiwan is an independent sovereignty which does not form part of the People's Republic of China," Yao said.
He said the Taiwanese should forge a consensus concerning the cross-strait "status quo" on four fronts: Taiwan is an independent sovereignty, Taiwan and China are separate, Taiwan must keep its democratic system and cross-strait peace must be maintained.
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