KMT presidential candidate: Taiwan needs a president well verse in finance and economy to break out of its predicament

 KMT presidential candidate: Taiwan needs a president well verse in finance and economy to break out of its predicament

                                                   January 4, 2016

Kuomintang presidential candidate Eric Chu has described the election on January 16 as a choice between stability and recklessness, saying Taiwan needs a president well verse in economic and financial affairs in order to break out of its predicament.

He also asked voters not to vent their anger on Taiwan by electing his opponent, Tsai Ing-wen, chairperson of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, simply because they are not happy with the KMT or President Ma Ying-jeou or himself.

Speaking in the second televised debate on January 2, Chu admitted that the KMT is not doing well enough in the past eight years and some people want to select an unreliable party and its candidate as a means of punishing the KMT.

But due to different stands and proposals raised by him and Tsai, the upcoming presidential poll will decide which direction Taiwan will go in the future. Therefore, it is highly important for voters to choose a president who is able to resolve Taiwan’s economic problems with pragmatic methods, Chu said.

“Eric Chu chooses stability and openness, and Chairperson Tsai opts for recklessness and closed-door policy,” he noted.

Chu posed six questions to Tsai that demonstrate her failure to enunciate clear policies she would pursue should she win the election.

On cross-strait policy, while Chu accepts the “1992 consensus and one China, different interpretations,” Tsai refutes the existence of such a consensus. When queried in the last debate on December 27, she was forced to say that the consensus is only an option. Tsai must clearly explain what does that mean and what option she is in mind that can help maintain cross-strait stability and avert tensions as the “1992 consensus” has never been a DPP’s or Tsai’s option.

On foreign policy, in the last debate Tsai said diplomatic truce achieved by President Ma is tantamount to diplomatic coma, which only makes Taiwan rely on China and cause confusion within Taiwan’s foreign policy apparatus over how to battle for Taiwan. If elected, does that mean Tsai would return to the confrontational diplomacy advocated by the previous DPP administration and stoke tensions in the region?

On military conscription policy, the KMT supports a volunteer military of 180,000 active servicemen with a starting salary of NT$40,000. Young people can choose to apply for the volunteer service or continue their studies. But Tsai supports mandatory conscription. She should clearly tell the public how many soldiers she wants to draft and who will be drafted.

On trade policy, the KMT favors Taiwan’s simultaneous entry into the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership and China-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Until now, Tsai only talks about TPP and avoids RCEP. Does that mean she opposes Taiwan’s entry into RCEP simply because China is a member? Is this good for Taiwan?

On energy policy, the KMT supports a phased reduction in the use of nuclear energy, but Tsai’s energy policy goes in circles. She calls for substitution of much-cheaper nuclear energy with green energy, but stops short of explaining how electricity price will not go up after the substitution. Why can’t she clearly state her energy policies?

On US pork import policy, the KMT favors an import policy that can reflect the most stringent standards in line with the consumption habits of all Taiwanese consumers and only when all these can be met will import be carefully considered. Tsai must explain why – after her June visit to the United States Trade Representative of which details of their meeting have never been revealed – she suddenly calls for permission of import of American pork. She must explain why she opts for such imports knowing that it will greatly hurt the interests of local hog farmers. Is there any secret deal between her and the US government?

Chu stressed that other than just empty promises or blank checks, voters have the right to know what concreted policies Tsai would adopt to make people in Taiwan lead a better life, if elected.

He said in the face of the wave of globalization in the 21^st century, Taiwan needs to recover its confidence and competitiveness. It must not continue to stay in the misery of the past and should refrain from remaining hostile to China in order to achieve further cross-strait cooperation and peace.

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