Accepting the so-called “1992 consensus” is equivalent to abandoning the sovereignty of Taiwan, Vice President and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate William Lai (賴清德) said while campaigning in Kaohsiung yesterday.
The “1992 consensus” refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
“Sovereignty is like ownership of the property. You can protect the property only if you have the ownership. Without sovereignty, you lose land deeds, property ownership, democracy and human rights,” Lai said.
Photo: Hsu Li-chuan, Taipei Times
“Taiwan is an independent nation, with sovereignty belonging to the 23.5 million people who live there. It does not belong to China or other nations,” he said.
Signing a peace agreement with China, as some people have proposed, would not achieve real peace, Lai said.
“If a peace agreement works, Tibet would be a different place. Opposition parties proposed that we accept the ‘1992 consensus,’ which maintains the ‘one China’ principle and would lead to ‘one country, two systems.’ Accepting the ‘1992 consensus’ means giving up Taiwan’s sovereignty and losing freedom and democracy,” Lai said.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The problem in the Taiwan Strait is not a continuation of the Chinese Civil War, nor is it merely a problem between Taiwan and China, Lai said.
“This is a problem that the world has to deal with. We need to jointly protect Taiwan by forming alliances with other democratic countries,” he said. “We must not be afraid because China is intensifying its threat against Taiwan.
The government would be willing to talk to China if Beijing treats Taiwan with respect and dignity, he added.
Separately yesterday, New Taipei City Mayor and KMT presidential candidate Hou You-yi (侯友宜) told supporters that January’s presidential election is “a choice between peace and war” and pledged to keep the Taiwan Strait peaceful and safe.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made the world worry that a war could break out in the Taiwan Strait, Hou said, adding that the US’ support of Taiwan shows the international community is concerned about the safety of Taiwan.
The DPP would push Taiwan to the brink of a war once it is elected to govern the country again, Hou said, adding that he would investigate all the scandals that happened under the DPP government once he is elected president.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
RSS