Former Kuomintang President Ma Ying-jeou says, “We must trust Xi Jinping.”
Lai Qingde “I can’t believe it” vs. Candidate Noh “We have to watch his words and actions match”
Ahead of Taiwan’s presidential election, Taiwan’s ruling party and opposition party expressed different opinions on whether Chinese President Xi Jinping can be trusted. It started with a statement by former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou, a member of the pro-China Kuomintang Party.
According to Taiwanese media such as the Korean Central News Agency and the Free Times on the 11th, former President Ma said in an interview with German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) on the 8th, “We must trust President Xi when it comes to cross-strait relations.”
Former President Ma cited the 92 Agreement as the reason for saying this. The 92 agreement included agreement that ‘both sides of the Strait are one China’, but leaving it up to each party to express itself. In 1992, China and Taiwan reached a verbal agreement.
He argued that both sides of the Strait were peaceful during the past eight years when he was in power because the 92 Agreement served as a political foundation. At the same time, he blamed the tension in the Taiwan Strait on the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government.
In response, Presidential candidate Lai Qingde of the pro-American Democratic Progressive Party countered, saying, “Xi Jinping cannot be trusted.”
Candidate Lai said in a speech in Miaoli County, northwest Taiwan, on the 10th, “I cannot trust Xi Jinping,” Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported that day.
Candidate Lai said, “Xi Jinping only claims that the 92 Agreement is one China principle,” and “voting for Lai Ching-de and his running mate Xiao Mei-qin means believing in Taiwan.”
Candidate Lai went on to claim, “This Taiwan presidential election is an election in which China attacked the opposition with various public opinions, protected its own side with force, and intervened by mobilizing means such as economic threats and fake information.”
At the same time, he encouraged people to vote for the Democratic Progressive Party. Candidate Lai emphasized, “If Xiao Mei-qin and I are elected with a high number of votes, we will show our determination to protect Taiwan’s democracy without fear of threats from China.”
He added, “In this situation, China in the future will have an opportunity to review its cross-Strait policies.”
Former President Ma is currently the chairman of the main opposition party, the Kuomintang.
However, Kuomintang presidential candidate Hou Yui distanced himself somewhat from former President Ma’s statement about trusting Xi Jinping. The Jayu Times reported on the 11th that Candidate Hou said that he had a slightly different opinion from former President Ma.
Candidate Hou insisted on protecting Taiwan’s democratic and freedom system, emphasizing threats, deterrence, dialogue, and exchange.
He then said something that was conscious of Taiwanese voters. Candidate Hou dismissed the idea that nothing would change due to China’s unilateral actions, saying he opposed “one country, two systems” and would maintain the Taiwanese people’s way of life.
Candidate Hou’s running mate, Vice President Zhao Xiaokang, also added his strength. Candidate Zhao said on the 10th, “Mutual trust between the two sides is important, but trust is not unconditional.” Candidate Zhao added, “We have to see whether words and actions match.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.