KMT Chairman: Make the impossible possible

    KMT Chairman: Make the impossible possible

 2015/11/5

KMT Chairman Eric Chu Thursday said the 2016 presidential election is a tough battle for the party, but he will do all he could to make the impossible possible.

 In a meeting with foreign news media at the KMT headquarters in Taipei, Chu said he will never give up. “We have never thought of taking it all, but that does not mean we want to lose either.”

 The KMT presidential candidate said he is aware that he is fighting an uphill battle, but that battle is not yet over. “If the January 16 poll is a baseball game, what we are facing is never the second half of the 9th inning, but rather the 7^th inning,” he said, adding he will fight to the very end to “make the impossible mission become possible.”

 On the November 7 summit between President Ma Ying-jeou and CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping, Chu said it represents a new milestone for relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. “It is the first time in 66 years for leaders of the two sides to meet. It is highly significant and definitely very positive to the future of cross-strait relations,” he said.

 Chu noted that for this summit to take place, the KMT has step-by-step worked in all ways since it regained power in 2008. He said the KMT has a clear and well-devised roadmap in accomplishing such a goal, and this is an important basis for the KMT to maintain the status quo of Taiwan and peaceful development of cross-strait relations.

 “The Democratic Progressive Party is well aware of this, but they are unwilling to accept the ‘1992 consensus’ as a basis for promotion of cross-strait ties and cooperation,” Chu said.  He noted that the DPP has chosen to re-chart the cross-strait roadmap established by the KMT. “Who knows what stage of cross-strait relations they would bring [to Taiwan] in the future.”

 Chu said the Ma-Xi summit certainly will have a positive impact to deliberation of various cross-strait agendas. The future leader of Taiwan must honestly tell the public whether he or she will continue to carry out what the KMT has achieved in the past seven years in terms of cross-strait relations, he said, adding some members of the public may have different stands over the issue, but overall they still support such achievements.

 Without accepting the “1992 consensus,” Chu said he has no idea how his presidential opponent, DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen, is able to maintain Taiwan’s status quo and develop cross-strait relations.

 The negative response, including protests, harsh criticism and even accusation that President Ma is selling out Taiwan through his meeting with Xi, is a sound proof that the DPP and Tsai are merely paying lip service in terms of maintaining Taiwan’s status quo and promotion of cross-strait relations, Chu added.

 Regarding the South China Sea issue, Chu said the KMT’s biggest goal is maintaining peace and settling disputes. President Ma has proposed the South China Sea peace initiatives to resolve the disputes and seek joint exploration as well as development of the resources in the region, Chu said, noting he would continue Ma’s initiatives in addressing the issue in the future.

 Chu said Taiping islet in the Spratlys is a territory of the Republic of China and this is both a historical and longstanding fact. He said there is no need to make political interpretation of visits paid by ROC leader and ministerial officials on the islet, given that it is an ROC’s territory. But he also feels that all ROC nationals should be able to visit Taiping. He suggested that regular flights provided for civilian visits to the islet.

 Chu also said he is planning to visit the United States on November 10 as the US is a very important partner and ally of Taiwan in terms of economic cooperation, Taiwan security, cross-strait relations, and regional peace. “So we need to tell the US what sort of policy the KMT or he, if he becomes president in the future, would adopt. This will also allow the US to have a good comparison of cross-strait, defense and foreign policies or proposals made by the KMT and the DPP,” Chu said.

 He said he has made three overseas visits, including Singapore, Hong Kong and mainland China since he became KMT chairman in January. He said in his meeting with Xi in May, he told the CCP general secretary Taiwan eagerly wants to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. In his upcoming visit to the US, he will express Taiwan’s strong desire to join the Washington-led Trans-Pacific Partnership.

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