KMT presidential candidate urges Japan to issue formal apology to Taiwan over “Comfort Women” issue; outlines policy planks on food safety, childcare

 KMT presidential candidate urges Japan to issue formal apology to Taiwan over “Comfort Women” issue; outlines policy planks on food safety, childcare

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              December 31, 2015

Kuomintang presidential candidate Eric Chu has called on Japan to issue a formal apology to Taiwan over the decades-old issue of “Comfort Women” who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military government during the Second World War.

“I hope Chairman James Soong (People First Party) and Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (Democratic Progressive Party), regardless of party affiliation, can join me in demanding that Japan issue a formal apology and compensation fund to the families of those women, in line with what it did to South Korea,” Chu said in the opening of a televised presentation of his policy platform on December 30.

Calling it a very serious and important issue, Chu said all people in Taiwan, regardless of their relationships with Japan, must demand that justice to be done so that the dignity and interest of those women can be safeguarded. “This is what we must do,” he stressed, referring to a deal reached by Japan and South Korea on December 28 for an official apology along with a compensation fund of 1 billion yen issued to Seoul by Tokyo.

During the presentation, in addition to his three-point strategy to raise the nation’s minimum wage to NT$30,000, narrow the gap between the poor and the rich, and increase Taiwan’s international presence, Chu also revealed other policy planks, including those on housing, public childcare, long-term care service, food safety and education.

In terms of childcare, Chu, who is also New Taipei mayor and KMT chairman, said since he assumed his mayoral post in 2010, the New Taipei City has established some 40 public childcare centers. If elected president, he will set up more such centers all over Taiwan through integration of government and private resources. This can help ease the burden of parents who have no time to take care of their children when they go to work in the day time, Chu noted.

On food safety, Chu vowed to set up a product traceability system, establish an online database of safe foods and pushing for revision of the food safety regulations in addressing various food safety problems.

He also called for Soong and Tsai to support his proposal to change the January 8 televised presentation of policy platform by the three candidates to a televised debate so that they can have three rounds of televised debate before the January 16 presidential election. The three had their first debate on December 27 and the second will be held on January 2.

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