Taiwan is a sovereign country working to safeguard regional security, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus members said yesterday.
They made the remarks in response to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) officials, who accused President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of supporting Taiwanese independence by referring to China as a “neighbor” in a speech on Tuesday.
In a pre-recorded message to the Ketagalan Forum 2021 Asia-Pacific Security Dialogue, Tsai said: “While we do not seek military confrontation, and hope for peaceful, stable and beneficial existence with our neighbors, we will always defend our democracy and way of life.”
Photo: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times
“We want to tell the KMT that Taiwan is a nation under the Republic of China framework, and we are an independent, sovereign country,” DPP Legislator Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘) said yesterday. “There is nothing wrong with referring to a country as a neighbor.”
“China has vowed to take Taiwan by force. So our government is responding, asking the neighboring country not to engage in military expansionism and not to intimidate other countries,” he said. “This is done to maintain regional stability and the balance of power.”
“If KMT members and KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) do not consider China to be a neighboring country, then please explain, what is the relationship? Is China a mother country?” he asked.
DPP Legislator Huang Shih-chieh (黃世杰) said that the KMT was trying to draw attention to its chairperson election by politicizing the president’s remark that Taiwan is willing to participate in international collaboration.
“The KMT has made a wayward interpretation of her comment, while the international community clearly understands what President Tsai meant,” Huang said.
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