Former vice-president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday told the Institute for National Development (IND) that President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) China policies were pandering to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and were completely “misguided.”
The IND, an organization founded by Lu when she was a Taoyuan County councilor, is to be reorganized and renamed in anticipation of the political changes expected to occur next year.
The new president of the organization, Weng Ming-hsien (翁明賢), said the creation of the China Research Center was in anticipation of turmoil in cross-strait relations next year, which will not only see a presidential election in Taiwan, but also a change of power in Beijing after Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) steps down.
“Relevant issues should be researched and commented on by academics and specialists,” Weng said.
Amid the “constitutional consensus” proposed by former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), the “Taiwan consensus” proposed by former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and the “1996 consensus” proposed by Lu — all of which are seen as efforts by their proponents to position themselves ahead of the DPP primary in April — Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is to announce the official launch of the renamed DPP think tank tomorrow.
Tsai mentioned the creation of the think tank, which will focus on Taiwan’s international relations and look at cross-strait engagement, in the wake of the special municipality elections in November.
Lu’s “1996 consensus” says Taiwan became an independent sovereign country on the day it held its first general presidential election in 1996.
The Chinese Communist Party administration in Beijing reacted strongly to that election, firing missiles off the coast of Taiwan and prompting then-US president Bill Clinton to order the deployment of an aircraft carrier to the Taiwan Strait.
Speaking about previous DPP policies on China, Lu said she hoped Tsai’s think tank would facilitate innovation.
“The DPP’s China policy places Taiwan first. Ma’s regime is misguided and has forsaken Taiwan’s sovereignty,” Lu said.
“The DPP’s China policy is not to create a ‘locked-up country,’” Lu said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
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