The Republic of China （ROC） Constitution allows no possibility of Taiwanese independence, Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） presidential hopeful Hung Hsiu-chu （洪秀柱） said yesterday, when asked whether she would take a more radical approach to pushing for cross-strait unification.
“You can look at the ROC Constitution. Does it allow for Taiwanese independence?” the deputy legislative speaker told reporters, when she was asked for her views on media commentaries that said she would accelerate the process of unification if she wins the presidential election in January.
Cross-strait policy under any administration must respect the Constitution, Hung said, adding that even Democratic Progressive Party （DPP） Chairperson and presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文） said in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington earlier this month that she would handle cross-strait relations in accordance with the ROC Constitution.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
The beginning of the Additional Article of the Constitution states that any articles that are added to or amended in the Constitution are to “meet the requisites of the nation prior to national unification,” Hung said.
That clearly shows the ROC Constitution is based on the “one China” principle, she added.
Hung said that what worries Taiwanese is the prospect of unification taking place on China’s terms, because China wishes to apply its “one country, two systems” formula in the unification of Taiwan, while Taiwan wants to see a unified China characterized by freedom, democracy and the rule of law.
Hung again pledged to sign a peace treaty with China if she is elected president, saying the idea had been proposed in the past by former presidents Lee Teng-hui （李登輝） and Chen Shui-bian （陳水扁） as well as President Ma Ying-jeou （馬英九）. She added that Tsai helped formulate Chen’s proposal when she served as Mainland Affairs Council minister.
“I did not invent the idea. They did not follow through with it, probably because it aroused some suspicion among the public, but if the idea is in the interests of Taiwan, we should make it clear to the public,” Hung said.
She added that signing a cross-strait peace treaty is consistent with the so-called “1992 consensus,” referring to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese government that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
“There is no difference between the two. What we need to think about is whether we should take a step further into the ‘deep-water zone’ beyond the ‘1992 consensus’ and whether we should try to make a breakthrough in cross-strait relations or whether we would rather stay where we are now,” Hung said.
LIABILITIES MULLED: New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi said Taipei would find out if the firm was legally registered, the guide was licensed and the weather was assessed The assets of Tian Da Local Nature Co are to be frozen after at least four people died after falling into the Beishi River (北勢溪) on an outing the company had organized on Saturday, the Taipei City Government said yesterday. Six people — two adults and four children — were washed away by a flash flood on the river in New Taipei City’s Hubaotan (虎豹潭) area. They were participating in a Nature Joy Camp outdoor activity with a group of 16 adults and 15 children led by a guide surnamed Su (蘇). As of 4:30pm yesterday, four of the missing had been
The US 7th Fleet yesterday confirmed that a US Navy ship transited the Taiwan Strait on Thursday and Friday. “The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Dewey [DDG 105] conducted a Taiwan Strait transit in cooperation with Royal Canadian Navy [RCN] Halifax-class frigate, HMCS Winnipeg, October 14-15, 2021,” the US 7th Fleet said in a statement. “Dewey’s and Winnipeg’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the commitment of the United States and our allies and partners to a free and open Indo-Pacific. Cooperation like this represents the centerpiece of our approach to a secure and prosperous region,” it added. The transit marked the
‘COUNTERPRODUCTIVE’: The German, French and Singaporean missions said that Taiwan’s COVID-19 restrictions are hindering local projects and business operations Several foreign missions in Taiwan have urged the government to ease its strict COVID-19 border controls, which they say are hurting in-person exchanges and business operations. The missions made the appeal in response to media inquiries on how the border controls have affected their respective countries’ exchanges with Taiwan, amid growing concerns voiced privately by Taiwan-based foreign offices and businesses regarding the restrictions. Taiwan has maintained strict entry requirements since March last year, generally prohibiting most arrivals except for citizens and foreign residents, while it has required those who enter the country to undergo a stringent 14-day quarantine. Although the rules have been
PROTECTION: The Ministry of Health and Welfare is aiming for a full vaccination rate of 30 percent, and allowing mixed first and second doses to boost coverage rates Whether Taiwan reopens its borders would depend on the nation’s vaccination coverage rate and the COVID-19 situation in other countries, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is aiming for a 70 percent first-dose vaccination coverage and 30 percent two-dose coverage as part of its consideration, Shih told a media briefing following the weekly Cabinet meeting. In spite of a relatively stable COVID-19 situation in Taiwan, and calls from foreign missions and businesses in the country to allow more international travelers, the government is maintaining strict border control measures. Since March last year,
RSS