Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers say their presumptive KMT presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) has promised not to bring up “one China, same interpretation” in the future in exchange for their full support.
Hung invited some KMT legislators to a meal yesterday, at which she agreed to revise her cross-strait policy and drop the “one China, same interpretation” proposal, the invited lawmakers said.
KMT Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) said before the meal that cross-strait policy has always been the KMT’s stronghold, and underscored the necessity of Hung’s returning to the so-called “1992 consensus,” or “one China, different interpretations,” policy.
Lin added that Hung, as the party’s presumptive presidential candidate, has to conform to the party’s thinking, and that he would wholeheartedly endorse Hung only if she returns to the party’s official stance on the cross-strait relations.
Hung promised not to bring up “one China, same interpretation” and to hew to the cross-strait policy outlined by the KMT’s upper echelon, Lin said after the meeting.
Lin added that new American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Kin Moy will be arriving in Taipei soon and said he would arrange a meeting between Moy and Hung, who has said she considers the US an important ally and has expressed her gratitude for an invitation from Moy to visit the US.
KMT Legislator Lee Ching-hua (李慶華), who also attended the meal, said the get-together was fruitful, and a consensus was reached “[that Hung] is running for president of the Republic of China [ROC], [that we would all adhere to] the ‘1992 consensus’ and ‘one China, different interpretations’ [and promote] the ROC’s eternal existence.”
Meanwhile, in the latest campaign video released by Hung’s team, Hung said that safeguarding the ROC is her life’s work and protecting Taiwanese is what she aims to do if elected.
“If elected, unification would not be an option during my term,” Hung said in the video.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday continued to demand clarity on Hung’s stance on cross-strait relations.
DPP spokesperson Wang Min-sheng (王閔生) accused Hung of being contradictory on cross-strait policy and called on the KMT to clarify her policy.
“Hung once said that she would support ‘one China, same interpretation’ on cross-strait policy, and went as far as denying the existence of the ROC, but KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) insisted on ‘one China with each side having its own interpretation’ yesterday [Wednesday], and asked all of the party’s candidates to abide by the principle.”
Wang said that, according to the KMT’s own regulations, a candidate who is officially nominated as its presidential candidate should abide by the party’s policies and ideology, but, so far, Hung herself has not declared whether she would change her controversial cross-strait policy, and even reiterated her idea of “one China, same interpretation” in her latest video.
“Cross-strait relations are critical to Taiwan’s long-term development, so they cannot be handled carelessly or recklessly,” Wang said. “As the KMT chairman has clearly stated the party’s stance, Hung should make it clear to the public whether she would insist on her own ‘one China, same interpretation’ or give it up.”
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