If Taiwanese do not defend their democracy, Taiwan could suffer the same fate as Hong Kong, Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate, told a campaign event in Taoyuan yesterday.
“The Republic of China can survive only if Taiwan survives. There can be no concession on the nation’s sovereignty, which protects all other rights,” Lai said, emphasizing the DPP’s message to voters for the Jan. 13 election.
A report by Academia Sinica showed that since the enactment of Hong Kong’s National Security Law, imposed by Beijing in 2020, the territory has experienced sharp declines in its democracy and economy, which has spurred hundreds of thousands to emigrate, he said.
Photo: Peng Chien-li, Taipei Times
Separately yesterday, Lai said that promises by New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, to relaunch talks with China over the controversial Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement and to open the nation’s doors to young Chinese jobseekers would not help young Taiwanese.
“It is all but certain that the impact of [Hou’s policies] on young Taiwanese will be profoundly negative,” Lai said.
He said that he would discuss his platform in detail during a televised presidential debate scheduled for Dec. 30.
Public Television Service on Friday said that Lai, Hou and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) would make their first statements in that order during the debates.
They would then take five questions posed by news outlets, before asking each other questions.
The debate among vice presidential candidates is slated for 2pm on Jan. 1, pending confirmation from Ko’s campaign. It would start with former representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) of the DPP, followed by TPP Legislator and vice presidential candidate Wu Hsin-ying (吳欣盈) and Broadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康) of the KMT.
After their opening statements, they would take questions from four media representatives.
The Central Election Commission is to hold three televised policy presentations for the presidential candidates: on Dec. 20 at 7pm, Dec. 26 at 2pm and Dec. 28 at 7pm.
The presentations are not debates. They give candidates the opportunity to present their policies over three sessions, in which each candidate has 10 minutes to speak.
A similar presentation would be held for the vice presidential candidates on Dec. 22 at 7pm.
Additional reporting by Peng Chien-li
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