The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday questioned the nature of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia’s (夏立言) visit to China amid a trade dispute with Beijing.
Although the KMT last week said Hsia was in China to meet with the Taiwanese community, he did not disclose his itinerary or whether he would meet Chinese officials.
“So far in the KMT’s election campaign, their economic policy platform has focused on ‘full dependency on China.’ The KMT is regressing to the old ways of subjugating the nation under the ‘one-China’ principle,” DPP spokesman Chang Chih-hao (張志豪) said.
Photo: Taipei Times file
The KMT’s presidential candidate, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), and his running mate, Broadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kang (趙少康), have focused on boosting economic growth by improving relations with China, talking about opening up to Chinese companies to do business in Taiwan, expanding tourism for Chinese visitors and launching programs for young people and entrepreneurs, Chang said.
They are also emphasizing the need to depend on China to engage in regional cooperative bodies, he said.
“However, young Taiwanese cannot see a future in the KMT’s vision of complete dependency on China. The world sees that China’s economy is in a downward spiral, and most countries and companies are pulling out,” he said.
“Disengagement from China is a global trend, but in pursuing closer ties with Beijing, the KMT has shown no concern for Taiwan’s national security or people’s livelihoods. KMT leaders do not have a vision for Taiwan to engage and do business with the whole world,” he added.
Hou and Jaw have supported Beijing’s stance, even as the Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Friday said that Taiwan had erected “trade barriers” in restricting imports of more than 2,455 categories of Chinese goods, in an investigation that contravened WTO rules and the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) China signed with Taiwan in 2010.
“China is the one contravening WTO and ECFA rules, and they have refused to negotiate with our government to resolve these disputes, but Hou and Jaw have spoken on China’s behalf to criticize the government,” Chang said. “This shows that the KMT does not care about Taiwan’s national interests.”
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