The New Power Party (NPP) yesterday said that it would soon announce details of a design competition for a new national emblem, as the one currently used by the government is similar to the Chinese National Party’s (KMT) emblem.
“The purpose of this competition is to raise public concern over the issue,” NPP Chairwoman Chen Jiao-hua (陳椒華) said. “We also hope that the Ministry of the Interior would listen to the public, and carefully evaluate the necessity and feasibility of changing the national emblem.”
The Legislative Yuan on Jan. 29 passed a motion proposed by the NPP’s legislative caucus asking the ministry, which enforces the National Emblem and National Flag Act (國徽國旗法), to submit an assessment report within two months on the issues resulting from the similarities between the national emblem and KMT’s emblem.
Photo: CNA
Although the KMT has said that people would not confuse the national emblem with the party’s emblem, a survey conducted by the NPP showed that more than 90 percent of respondents had trouble distinguishing the two, the NPP said.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesman Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) yesterday said the NPP’s proposal showed that it colluded with politicians supporting Taiwanese independence and challenged the limits of cross-strait relations.
“China’s anger over our proposal shows that we have done the right thing. The Chinese Communist Party’s rude and unreasonable attitude will not help it win the hearts of Taiwanese,” Chen said.
The NPP said the resemblance between the national emblem and KMT’s emblem is one of the unresolved issues left from the nation’s authoritarian era, when there was barely any distinction between party politics and the government.
“How we should look at the past and transition to a democratic country is an issue we must address. The last thing we need is unfounded criticism from a totalitarian regime like the People’s Republic of China [PRC],” the NPP said.
The office criticizing a motion passed by Taiwanese legislators shows that the PRC is attempting to interfere in Taiwan’s internal politics, the NPP said, adding that the nation should not shrink back because of the office’s statement.
NPP Secretary-General Christy Pai (白卿芬) said there are many countries where governments changed national emblems with the passage of time and evolution of national identity.
“Taiwan has experienced rising localism as well as peaceful transitions of power since it became a truly democratic country in 2000, with more and more young people considering Taiwan a country that is separate from China. As such, we should change the national emblem as a closure to the authoritarian era,” Pai said, adding that the NPP would also propose amendments to the National Emblem and National Flag Act.
“We are open to any idea for a new emblem so long as it is linked to images of Taiwan,” Pai said, adding that details of the competition would be released by the first half of next month.
Last year, the party held a competition for a new passport cover.
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