Hung Advocates Cross-Strait Peace Accord

 Hung Advocates Cross-Strait Peace Accord

 Sources: All Taipei newspapers

September 7, 2015

KMT Presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu announced that she would “temporarily suspend her hectic election campaign schedule” on September 2, sending a shockwave through Taiwan's political circles. Yesterday, Hung declared during a press conference that she would absolutely not quit the race and would fight to the end. 

Hung stated that she had thoroughly thought over all important issues in the last three days, and decided to “take the necessary path.” She noted that our country had become “sick,” and “the cause of the illness was not government policies, but politicians like us.” 

She stated that if necessary, she would pay a visit to DPP Chairwoman and Presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen to end political infighting and irrational populism. She went on to say that she and Tsai should explain their key governance ideals through a series of debates, allowing voters to decide who the next national leader should be. 

Hung vowed to consolidate and deepen the “1992 Consensus: one China, different interpretations” while lauding President Ma Ying-jeou’s great contributions to cross-Strait relations. She noted that both sides of the Taiwan Strait should engage in political consultations. She advocated that both sides should sign a peace accord under three principles: respecting the Constitution of the Republic of China, upholding Taiwan’s parity and dignity, and following public opinion. 

Hung argued that everyone in Taiwan clearly realized that the unsolved cross-Strait issues had made the Mainland the scapegoat for all the problems Taiwan was currently facing. Furthermore, Taiwan failed to accurately evaluate significant changes on the Mainland, which in turn became a breeding ground for populist politics in Taiwan, Hung said, adding, “If this is the foundation for all of Taiwan's problems, I would first tackle it to create real peace across the Taiwan Strait.” 

Hung noted that when a group of students launched a protest against the cross-Strait Services Trade Agreement in March 2014, dubbed the “Sunflower Student Movement,” developments in cross-Strait relations began to face a deadlock. She asked whether Taiwan had to continue avoiding political issues or choose the DPP’s tactics to confront the Mainland. 

Hung explained that neither avoidance nor confrontation was a positive attitude as we might survive for the next few years or even a decade, but the next generation would have to face an even greater predicament. Hung stressed that she had to take a path to promote cross-Strait peace to improve Taiwan's environment and attract foreign investors as well as create many more opportunities for our young people.

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