The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) supports peaceful unification with China, and President William Lai (賴清德) is “a bit naive” for being a “practical worker for Taiwanese independence,” former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said in an interview published yesterday.
Asked about whether the KMT is on the same page as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) on the issue of Taiwanese independence or unification with China, Ma told the Malaysian Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Daily that they are not.
While the KMT supports peaceful unification and is against unification by force, the DPP opposes unification as such and says they are not Chinese, he said, adding that the TPP takes a middle-of-the-road position, although it does not have a strong opinion on the issue.
Photo courtesy of Ma Ying-Jeou’s office
The KMT has not changed, and cannot change, its pro-unification stance on the Taiwan issue, as the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution does not exclude the option of unification, Ma said.
The KMT’s opposes Taiwanese independence and is in favor of “peace,” aligning with the opinion of the vast majority in Taiwan, he said.
Taiwanese who support independence are few, he added.
Ma said Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is believed to be “more peaceable” than Lai.
“President Lai often proclaims himself as a pragmatic Taiwanese independence worker, but seeking Taiwanese independence is not pragmatic as it can never be achieved,” he said.
“That is why sometimes we think he is a bit naive,” Ma added.
Ma said he does not consider cross-strait tensions to be concerning for the moment, because neither the US nor China are willing to go to war.
“Of course, we dare not say it will never happen,” he said, adding that it is “not impossible, but unlikely.”
He also said he believes China “cherishes” its economic and technological achievements, so it would not rush into a war.
“I am not that pessimistic about the US-China relationship,” Ma said, adding that he believes both sides know war would lead to a lose-lose situation.
Peaceful competition between the US and China could benefit both sides, as the US would not stay ahead of China forever in some fields, he said.
China would not rashly wage a war against Taiwan as Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) knows that there are millions of Taiwanese businesspeople in China and Taiwanese would not accept it if China does not adopt a peaceful and democratic approach to achieve unification, Ma said.
Asked about the potential impact of this year’s US presidential election on cross-strait stability, Ma said he is concerned.
However, neither US President Joe Biden, nor Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump would deal with China by any means other than peaceful, as the US could not afford the price of war, he said.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was sentenced to six months in prison, commutable to a fine, by the New Taipei District Court today for contravening the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法) in a case linked to an alleged draft-dodging scheme. Wang allegedly paid NT$3.6 million (US$114,380) to an illegal group to help him evade mandatory military service through falsified medical documents, prosecutors said. He transferred the funds to Chen Chih-ming (陳志明), the alleged mastermind of a draft-evasion ring, although he lost contact with him as he was already in detention on fraud charges, they said. Chen is accused of helping a
SECURITY: Starlink owner Elon Musk has taken pro-Beijing positions, and allowing pro-China companies to control Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is risky, a legislator said Starlink was reluctant to offer services in Taiwan because of the nation’s extremely high penetration rates in 4G and 5G services, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which reviewed amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法). Article 36 bans foreigners from holding more than 49 percent of shares in public telecommunications networks, while shares foreigners directly and indirectly hold are also capped at 60 percent of the total, unless specified otherwise by law. The amendments, sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
The eastern extension of the Taipei MRT Red Line could begin operations as early as late June, the Taipei Department of Rapid Transit Systems said yesterday. Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said it is considering offering one month of free rides on the new section to mark its opening. Construction progress on the 1.4km extension, which is to run from the current terminal Xiangshan Station to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, was 90.6 percent complete by the end of last month, the department said in a report to the Taipei City Council's Transportation Committee. While construction began in October 2016 with an
RSS