A former Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) deputy minister said that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) should not see the low popularity of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and his China policy as a godsend to the party’s hopes of winning the national elections next year.
Tung Chen-yuan (童振源), a National Chengchi University professor who served on the council during former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) administration, made the remarks as the DPP prepares to relaunch its China Affairs Committee tomorrow.
“Some in the DPP think that since Ma’s popularity is so low, as is support for his China policy, the DPP does not need to make adjustments to its own China policy to win the 2016 presidential election,” Tung said.
A majority of senior DPP members who support Taiwan independence do not recognize the so-called “1992 consensus” — a tacit agreement that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) says was reached with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), stating that there is only “one China,” with each side free to interpret the meaning of the term.
The “one China, different interpretations” consensus serves as a foundation for Taiwan and China to engage with each other, the KMT says.
In a congratulatory message to new KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) on Saturday, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) did not forget to remind the former of the importance of the “1992 consensus” and the two parties’ joint opposition to Taiwan independence.
Tung said there is little mutual trust between the DPP and the CCP, but there are also few incentives for the DPP to change its China policy for fear that any change will only get a lukewarm response from Beijing or a demand for more changes.
Tung said that even if the DPP makes substantive changes to its China policy, the CCP would still prefer to deal with the KMT as a firm foundation of mutual confidence has been built up over the past decade.
In addition to the presidential election, Taiwan is to hold legislative elections that will likely see DPP candidates in central and southern Taiwan call for maintaining the party’s current China policy platform — calls that will likely handicap the party’s presidential candidate, Tung said.
One solution to this problem would be for the DPP to set up an “internal communications mechanism” that could form a “majority consensus” within the party and restrain its presidential candidate from expressing “personal views” on the party’s China policy, Tung said.
If the DPP does not try to show that it has in place a reasonable and efficient mechanism for forming a stable and trustworthy China policy, the party will have difficulty “waging a group war” against the KMT in the coming elections, the professor of national development said.
He suggested that the DPP’s China Policy Committee members “meet regularly” to map out the best policy options for the nation in cross-strait and international affairs.
He also suggested that the DPP “integrate” its previous resolutions and policy white papers on China policy, including updating its statements on Taiwan’s national status.
In 2011, when DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) ran for the presidency, she said that “Taiwan is the Republic of China and the Republic of China is Taiwan.”
If Tsai’s statement runs counter to the DPP’s other position papers, the party’s candidates will be grilled on the campaign trail next year, which will be a disadvantage for the party’s election bids, Tung said.
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