Glad to See Tsai Ying-wen Praises KMT Mainland Policy Achievements

 Glad to See Tsai Ying-wen Praises KMT Mainland Policy Achievements

TAIPEI – June 4, 2015 – The Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang or “KMT”) today expressed its appreciation to DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) Chairperson Tsia Ing-wen who affirmed the KMT’s Mainland policy achievements in her speech yesterday before the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC. Ms. Lin Yi-hua, chairperson of the KMT’s Culture and Communication Department, called on Ms. Tsai to clarify whether, in following the KMT’s policies, she wants to convey a message that Taiwan would best be served by another KMT administration following the upcoming Presidential election.

 Ms. Lin noted that Tsai reiterated an intention to maintain the status quo with an emphasis on seeking stability and progress in cross straits relations. Ms. Tsai has forgotten that the status quo is a result, the most important thing being the process. In fact, cross straits tensions were high under the previous DPP administration, and the current stable environment began only after Taiwan’s voters elected a KMT President in 2008 and again in 2012, when the voters rejected Ms. Tsai. Under the KMT, consultations with mainland China replaced confrontation, and achieved positive outcomes. This dialogue is possible on the basis of the 1992 Consensus, whereas Ms. Tsai continues to evade stating clearly how, and on what basis, she would maintain the current peaceful cross-straits status quo.

 If, as media reports state, Ms. Tsai’s cross-straits policy is to break away from the 1992 Consensus, the fact remains that she has yet to articulate an alternative framework that is acceptable to both sides. As Ms. Lin notes, there is an obvious contradiction if Ms. Tsai affirms the current peaceful and stable status quo while at the same time seeking to break away from it. Ms. Lin has questioned whether the DPP instead seeks to replace the 1992 Consensus with a framework that is both unstable and unacceptable.

 To maximize the benefits of further agreements with the Mainland, the KMT reiterates its willingness to work with the DPP to pass legislation that increases oversight of cross‑straits agreements, legislation that Ms. Tsai herself has now signified her support. Given that in her CSIS speech Ms. Tsai affirmed the KMT administration’s cross-straits and domestic policy achievements, perhaps she should apologize for those of her party colleagues who, over the last seven years, repeatedly sought to undermine Taiwan’s democracy, such as by occupying the Speaker’s podium in Taiwan’s parliament, the Legislative Yuan, and by resorting to actions to obstruct the legislative calendar.

 Ms. Tsai has also said in her CSIS speech that if elected President, she will push for peaceful and stable development of cross-strait relations in accordance with the will of the Taiwanese people and the existing Republic of China constitutional order. However, in her public remarks in Taiwan, Tsai has never referenced the nation’s existing constitutional order. In fact, doing so would contradict both the DPP’s Taiwan Independence Platform and its Resolution on Taiwan's Future. The KMT calls on Ms. Tsai to clarify if her party has frozen or abandoned the above agenda.

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