The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) would be prepared to seek active engagement with China, but would not change its policies to achieve that goal if he were elected party chairperson next month, former DPP chairperson Hsu Hsin-liang (許信良) said yesterday.
Hsu, one of five candidates running in the May 27 DPP chairperson election, focused on his China policy during a meeting with some of the party’s younger members yesterday.
“I would support the DPP’s engagement with Beijing and do not rule out visiting China myself, but I would not change our policies in order to make such a trip happen,” said the 70-year-old, who analysts consider the most moderate of the candidates in terms of China policy.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Hsu said that he did not think it was necessary to rescind the Taiwanese independence clause in the party charter for engagement with Beijing, because “we can not deny our own history.”
“There is no such thing as abandoning Taiwanese independence. As Taiwan is now an independent country, how would we give it up? That’s simply impossible,” Hsu said, adding that he had always advocated a policy that “guarantees the political status quo before boldly opening up.”
However, the Taiwanese independence clause in the DPP charter could be replaced with a new resolution, he said.
Hsu said that former DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) proposed China policy of “Taiwan is the Republic of China [ROC] and the ROC is Taiwan” would be a good place to start and could be drafted into an official document, to highlight the party’s recognition of the ROC political system.
However, Hsu said he favored the “constitutional consensus” advocated by former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) over Tsai’s “Taiwan consensus,” because consensus on a constitution would incorporate a broader swathe of public opinion and therefore hopefully end internal division over Taiwanese identity.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
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The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
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