Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), who is vying for the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential nomination, yesterday reiterated his opposition to a Taiwanese version of Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula.
Han on Saturday at a rally in Yunlin County’s Douliou City (斗六) told supporters that “‘one country, two systems’ can never be implemented in Taiwan.”
“Taiwanese can never accept it, unless it is over my dead body,” he added, saying the phrase “over my dead body” in English.
Photo: Ge Yu-hao, Taipei Times
Han led the crowd in chanting “reject ‘one country, two systems’” and asked his supporters to have faith in him.
“If I am given the opportunity to lead the Republic of China [ROC] and become president ... I promise that ‘one country, two systems’ will never be carried out on the land of Taiwan,” Han said.
Han yesterday told reporters that his stance has not changed.
He said that in April when he was asked by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Kaohsiung City Councilor Lin Chih-hung (林智鴻) about the issue at a question-and-answer session at the Kaohsiung City Council, he said: “With my hand on my heart — I support the ROC and oppose ‘one country, two systems.’”
“My position has never changed. Some people have been trying to paint me with a red brush; I do not understand what they are thinking,” he said.
Han’s opponents have accused him of being pro-China and reluctant to criticize Beijing.
In March, he visited China’s liaison offices in Hong Kong and Macau while signing trade deals there, and politicians from the DPP and other parties accused him of supporting the “one country, two systems” framework.
“When have I ever said I would accept the ‘one country, two systems’ formula?” Han asked the crowd on Saturday. “It is impossible for Taiwanese to accept the ‘one country, two systems’ model used in Hong Kong and Macau. Absolutely impossible.”
Organizers estimated that more than 120,000 people attended the rally, while Yunlin police did not provide an estimate.
It was the third large rally to support Han’s presidential bid, following a gathering in Taipei on June 1 and another in Hualien on June 8.
Han is one of five people expected to participate in the KMT’s primary to choose a candidate for the presidential election in January next year.
The party plans to select its candidate based on the results of public opinion polls, which are to be conducted by five polling firms from July 8 to 14.
The results are to be announced on July 15.
Additional reporting by Ge Yu-hao
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS