DPP depriving Taiwan of future: KMT head

DIFFERING VIEWPOINTS: The KMT head said that the party has attempted to pursue stable cross-strait relations and ease tensions, contrary to the DPP’s efforts

• By Lin Hsin-han and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writer

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Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government in an interview of championing Taiwan’s identity while depriving Taiwan of its ability to shape its own future, saying that Taiwan should pursue peace and propose practical solutions to reduce cross-strait risks.

The interview with Japanese digital news outlet Shincho QUE, published on Friday last week, covered cross-strait relations, Taiwan’s exchanges with Japan and the US, and how Taiwan can take the initiative amid shifts in the international situation.

The KMT has been falsely labeled regarding its positions, Cheng said.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun is pictured at the party’s Central Standing Committee meeting in Taipei in an undated photograph.

Photo: Taipei Times

Since taking office as party chair, she has expanded communication with the international community, helping people in Japan, Europe and the US understand the KMT and the importance of peace across the Taiwan Strait, she said.

The KMT pursues stable cross-strait relations to safeguard Taiwan’s democracy, freedom and prosperity, Cheng said, adding that the KMT should play an active role in promoting peace.

Taiwan must safeguard its democratic values and should not make unilateral concessions, she said, adding that stable cross-strait relations must be built on mutual respect and understanding.

Trips to Beijing this April and the US this June were important steps for the KMT to explain its position to the international community, the party chair said.

The KMT advocates easing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and resuming cross-strait dialogue based on the so-called “1992 consensus,” she said.

The “1992 consensus” refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.

The DPP rejects the “1992 consensus,” saying that Beijing does not recognize the Republic of China and acceptance of the understanding would imply agreement with China’s claim over Taiwan.

This would enable Taiwan to improve its own situation rather than wait for major powers to decide its future, she added.

Although the DPP champions Taiwanese subjectivity, its governing has led people to lose faith in Taiwan’s ability to shape its own future, Cheng said.

Without that initiative, Taiwan risks becoming a bargaining chip in the power struggles between major countries, she said.

Cheng voiced concerns about how Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (台積電) expansion in the US might impact Taiwan’s strategic value, citing Taiwan’s key role in the global high-tech industry.

Easing cross-strait tensions would help integrate regional talent, technology, markets and capital, she said, adding that the US could continue to play a leading role in the region while promoting cooperation.

The DPP has stirred anti-China sentiment, but this strategy is losing its effectiveness as people become increasingly aware of the risks of war, Cheng said.

No country wants to go to war with China and any military conflict in the Taiwan Strait would have far-reaching consequences for the world, Cheng said.

“If everyone can share in the benefits of peace, who would want to start a war?” she said.

The KMT would continue to pursue peace, stability and prosperity for Taiwan through dialogue and communication with the international community, she added.

In response, the DPP yesterday said President William Lai (賴清德) in his National Day address on Saturday outlined how Taiwan, in 10 years of DPP rule and amid upheavals in the global landscape, has worked with democratic allies and leveraged its technological strengths to improve its footing and engage with the world.

Rather than worrying about Taiwan losing its say, Cheng should focus on whether she, as KMT chair, still has control over her own party’s strategy in next month’s local elections, the DPP said.