The Republic of China (ROC) Constitution is the “rock” for stable cross-strait relations, a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) reform committee report presented at the party’s national congress yesterday said, adding that the “1992 consensus” should be applied to maintain cross-strait relations.
The KMT yesterday held its national congress at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei. The theme of this year’s congress was “Protect Taiwan, safeguard democracy and fight for the future.”
Following the KMT’s defeat in the Jan. 11 presidential and legislative elections, the party on March 31 established a reform committee that is divided into four groups: financial stability, organizational reform, youth participation and cross-strait discourse.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
KMT Deputy Secretary-General Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) delivered the committee report.
The committee advocates the ROC Constitution as the “rock” for stable cross-strait relations, and official cross-strait interactions should “respect the fact that the ROC exists,” the report said, adding that the “1992 consensus based on the ROC Constitution” should be applied to continue cross-strait interaction.
The KMT has for decades “resolutely opposed” Taiwan’s independence and the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) “one country, two systems” formula, as both would “eliminate the ROC’s sovereign state status,” it added.
A poll conducted among KMT members on party reform, which was released on Wednesday last week, found that 93.6 percent of respondents supported KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang’s (江啟臣) proposal that “the core value of the KMT is the ROC.”
Increasing membership dues to NT$300 next year, up from NT$200 this year, was among suggestions the committee made in the report.
Another was to limit the term of KMT Central Standing Committee members to one consecutive term, with a maximum term of eight years.
The committee report also proposed that no fewer than 15 percent of KMT Central Committee members be under the age of 40.
One in every five KMT nominees for legislator-at-large seats should be under the age of 40 and have an area of professional expertise, the report said.
In his opening remarks at the congress, Chiang, who won the KMT chairperson by-election on March 7, said he believed that there are two key KMT “traditions.”
“The first one is our core value; in the four simplest words, it is ‘the Republic of China,’” he said.
“The second tradition is the KMT’s continuous reform and introspection in its organization, strategy and practice — constantly innovating and seeking change,” he said.
He listed several developments in the party’s efforts to reform, including the establishment of an international affairs department in April, the resumption of Institute of Revolutionary Practice training sessions in July and the launch of a “digital chapter” on Thursday last week.
The KMT took the opportunity to promote the “digital chapter” — a mobile app that allows users to pay membership dues and participate in polls, among other functions.
“The KMT’s middle-of-the-road, steady policy line has long been a stabilizing force between the two sides” of the Taiwan Strait, Chiang said.
“Facing the current situation, we advocate continuing to promote cross-strait exchanges and dialogue, reversing the malicious spiral toward war and avoiding the recurrence of a cold war,” he said.
Former KMT chairpersons, including former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), former vice president Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) and former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), also attended the congress.
The “1992 consensus” — a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the CCP that both sides acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Additional reporting by CNA
FALSE DOCUMENTS? Actor William Liao said he was ‘voluntarily cooperating’ with police after a suspect was accused of helping to produce false medical certificates Police yesterday questioned at least six entertainers amid allegations of evasion of compulsory military service, with Lee Chuan (李銓), a member of boy band Choc7 (超克7), and actor Daniel Chen (陳大天) among those summoned. The New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office in January launched an investigation into a group that was allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified medical documents. Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) has been accused of being one of the group’s clients. As the investigation expanded, investigators at New Taipei City’s Yonghe Precinct said that other entertainers commissioned the group to obtain false documents. The main suspect, a man surnamed
DEMOGRAPHICS: Robotics is the most promising answer to looming labor woes, the long-term care system and national contingency response, an official said Taiwan is to launch a five-year plan to boost the robotics industry in a bid to address labor shortages stemming from a declining and aging population, the Executive Yuan said yesterday. The government approved the initiative, dubbed the Smart Robotics Industry Promotion Plan, via executive order, senior officials told a post-Cabinet meeting news conference in Taipei. Taiwan’s population decline would strain the economy and the nation’s ability to care for vulnerable and elderly people, said Peter Hong (洪樂文), who heads the National Science and Technology Council’s (NSTC) Department of Engineering and Technologies. Projections show that the proportion of Taiwanese 65 or older would
Democracies must remain united in the face of a shifting geopolitical landscape, former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on Tuesday, while emphasizing the importance of Taiwan’s security to the world. “Taiwan’s security is essential to regional stability and to defending democratic values amid mounting authoritarianism,” Tsai said at the annual forum in the Danish capital. Noting a “new geopolitical landscape” in which global trade and security face “uncertainty and unpredictability,” Tsai said that democracies must remain united and be more committed to building up resilience together in the face of challenges. Resilience “allows us to absorb shocks, adapt under
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday said it is building nine new advanced wafer manufacturing and packaging factories this year, accelerating its expansion amid strong demand for high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) applications. The chipmaker built on average five factories per year from 2021 to last year and three from 2017 to 2020, TSMC vice president of advanced technology and mask engineering T.S. Chang (張宗生) said at the company’s annual technology symposium in Hsinchu City. “We are quickening our pace even faster in 2025. We plan to build nine new factories, including eight wafer fabrication plants and one advanced