Hon Hai Precision Industry Co chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘) yesterday said that if elected president, he would seek to expand Taiwan’s international space by advocating the so-called “1992 consensus” based on “one China, with each side having its own interpretation of what that means.”
“My stance has always been that, without the ‘each side having its own interpretation of what China means,’ there would be no 1992 consensus,” he told reporters at Taipei Flower Market, before shopping for Mother’s Day flowers for his mother and wife.
The “1992 consensus,” a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000, refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese government that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
“I would only accept the 1992 consensus on the condition that each side has its own interpretation of what China means,” he said.
While many have criticized him for saying that Taiwan is a part of China, what he meant by “China” was the “two Chinas” implied in “each side having its own interpretation” — namely “the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China,” he said.
The reason Beijing has blocked Taiwan’s participation at the World Health Assembly (WHA) is because the government does not accept the “1992 consensus,” he said.
If elected, he would seek to improve Taiwan’s participation at international organizations by advocating a “1992 consensus” inclusive of “one China, each side having its own interpretation of what that means,” he said.
He urged Beijing to allow Taiwan to take part at the WHA at least as an observer, as it did when Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was president.
Asked about his view on international trade, he said that Taiwan needs to establish free-trade zones to promote its highly competitive machine tools, semiconductors and software.
“It would create opportunities, not a crisis,” he said, adding that a focus on defenses would lead to inaction.
He also hopes to help the nation sign a free-trade agreement with the US, he said, adding: “I am the most capable of achieving that, as I have the most experience at doing it.”
Asked about a planned meeting with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) on Monday next week, Gou said he would share his view on “what would make a fair and transparent primary.”
He would insist that the party hold a debate at which the KMT’s presidential hopefuls could share their platforms on cross-strait relations, socioeconomic issues and other areas, he said.
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
RSS