Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday said he would make “deterrence and communication” the foundation of his China policy to avoid staking Taiwan’s future on “goodwill” alone.
Speaking at a luncheon hosted by the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan, the former Taipei mayor pledged to increase defense spending to deter a potential Chinese invasion while engaging in dialogue with Beijing.
Ko described “communication” as key to improving strained cross-strait relations, saying that it would “effectively decrease the possibility of misunderstanding.”
Photo: CNA
Although it is extremely unlikely Taiwan and China can engage in talks on political issues in the current stage, both sides can start with easier topics, such as cultural and sports-related issues before moving to economic exchanges, Ko said.
“The keyword for cross-strait relations is ‘step-by-step,’” said Ko, who is second behind Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate, in most polls.
Ko told European company representatives that he knew foreign investors in the country were most concerned about Taiwan’s energy supply.
He said his party believes the time line for phasing out nuclear power should be pushed back from the DPP government’s 2025 deadline, but the percentage of renewables in Taiwan’s energy mix should be gradually boosted at the same time.
Taiwan should boost the percentage of renewables as part of a “pragmatic” approach to achieving net zero emissions by 2050, Ko added.
Overall, Ko said that if elected president, his administration would seek to govern in a “rational, pragmatic and scientific” manner.
“Based on these principles, we will find answers to many questions,” he added.
The chamber of commerce represents 1,050 members from more than 450 European companies with operations in Taiwan.
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