Taiwan’s democracy did not come as a gift, but was won through struggle and sacrifice, Vice President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday.
Lai, who has been nominated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as its candidate for next year’s presidential election, made the remarks in response to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) electoral opponent and New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), who said freedom and democracy are in the DNA of the KMT.
Lai asked why, if freedom and democracy are in the DNA of KMT, the nation has only experienced it in the past 40 years.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Lai urged Hou, who on Wednesday secured the KMT’s nomination as its presidential candidate, to read up on Taiwanese history and the struggles Taiwanese endured during the democratic transition.
“Taiwan is a country with freedom and democracy. It only came from the arduous efforts and sacrifice of many Taiwanese, who fought through painful struggles and untold hardships,” Lai said at an awards ceremony for a high-school knowledge competition in Taipei.
“Freedom and democracy were not handed out by the KMT government. Even during the struggles, the KMT stood in the way, opposing it all the way,” he said.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
“KMT officials were oppressors, as it was the ruling regime. They were the ones people fought to gain freedom and democracy,” he added.
Democracy is a common value shared by Taiwanese, and the nation has received praise in the international community, but it is facing an existential crisis due to China’s military intimidation and propaganda, he said.
“It is regretful that the KMT’s nominated presidential candidate has accepted the so-called ‘1992 consensus’ and the ‘one China’ principle,” Lai said. “Under such a political framework, it is impossible to safeguard Taiwan’s freedom and democracy.”
China is creating conflict and divisions within Taiwan, he said, adding that it is wrong for the KMT to help China find scapegoats and to play the blame game.
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 agreement between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
The DPP has never acknowledged the “1992 consensus” or the “one China” principle.
The KMT is pandering to China by accepting the “1992 consensus,” along with the rhetoric of “peaceful unification with China,” Lai said.
This is propaganda warfare by Beijing, he said.
China conducts air drills and naval maneuvers around Taiwan, while threatening to attack, which is military intimidation, he said.
“If we start to accept this, or capitulate under the threat of Chinese military force, Taiwan’s sovereignty would be lost, and it would be the end of Taiwan,” he said.
“If there is no longer national sovereignty, how can we maintain freedom and democracy?” Lai asked.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
US climber Alex Honnold left Taiwan this morning a day after completing a free-solo ascent of Taipei 101, a feat that drew cheers from onlookers and gained widespread international attention. Honnold yesterday scaled the 101-story skyscraper without a rope or safety harness. The climb — the highest urban free-solo ascent ever attempted — took just more than 90 minutes and was streamed live on Netflix. It was covered by major international news outlets including CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal. As Honnold prepared to leave Taiwan today, he attracted a crowd when he and his wife, Sanni,
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
RSS