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.
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