2023-05-24
DPP: Hou Yu-ih, We Need Answers — Do You Accept or Reject One China Principle and the 1992 Consensus
In response to the press conference held by the Kuomintang on May 24th, in which the opposition party criticized President Tsai Ing-wen and DPP Chairman Lai Ching-te as “warmongers” who sell the fear of war to the Taiwanese people, DPP Spokesperson and Director of the International Affairs Department, Peifen Hsieh, dismissed these baseless accusations towards the DPP.
The KMT has shown a history of openly aligning itself with the Chinese Community Party (CCP), using the threat of war to intimidate the Taiwanese people. President Tsai and Chairman Lai have consistently affirmed their stance regarding cross-strait relations as “peace being the only option”. On the other hand, the KMT does not dare to criticize the CCP for threatening Taiwan with war, instead they repeatedly echo the CCP and thereby intimidate the Taiwanese people with the prospect of war. For the KMT, “peace” means accepting the vague terms under the CCP’s “One China Principle”, going as far as to use rhetoric such as “there is no need to dwell on the wording of the 1992 Consensus” to further complicate matters. As such, it is no wonder that Mayor Hou has yet to openly and explicitly reject the One China principle and the 1992 Consensus.
Hsieh said that with the expanding influence of the CCP’s authoritarianism, the international community has already recognized that the Taiwan Strait issue is not just a regional concern, but a worldwide one. A recent joint statement at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, explicitly warned that the presence of China’s air force in both the East China Sea and the South China Sea has caused instability in the Indo-Pacific region, demanding peace in the Taiwan Strait and prohibiting the use of force to alter the status quo. It is evident that the CCP, not the DPP, is the cause of instability in the Taiwan Strait. However, the KMT has continuously been unwilling to face this reality, throwing baseless accusations towards the DPP without daring to levy a single critique towards the CCP. In addition, the KMT has resorted to repeatedly using the fear of war to intimidate the Taiwanese people in order to further their own political interests and agenda.
Hsieh further stated that within the realm of international participation, the CCP’s suppression of Taiwan is still an ongoing concern. At the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently being held in Geneva, Switzerland, 18 countries have spoken out in support of Taiwan, while China was the first country to speak out in opposition. In 2017, Margaret Chan, a Hong Kong native who was the former Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), bluntly stated that Taiwan’s participation in the WHA during the Ma administration was only possible under the framework of accepting the One China Principle. Thus, it is clear that the CCP is the main culprit that is suppressing Taiwan’s international participation. Nonetheless, there are KMT lawmakers claiming that accepting the 1992 Consensus, with “each side interpreting the terms differently” is the correct course of action for Taiwan’s return to the United Nations. “DPP ask Mayor Hou, do you accept this One China principle and give up Taiwan’s sovereignty in international participation?”
Hsieh emphasized that in a public opinion poll conducted last month, nearly 70 percent of Taiwanese people opposed the 1992 Consensus. However, no one in the KMT dares to criticize the CCP, which has continuously threatened Taiwan and regional security with war for decades. The KMT merely spreads rumors, defaming and vilifying the DPP while continuing to promise Taiwan a false peace under the vague conditions of the 1992 Consensus and One China Principle. During the 20th National Congress, Xi Jinping defined the 1992 Consensus as a means to promote cross-strait unification, and yet the KMT continues to deceive the public, insisting that the 1992 Consensus will lead to peace through a “consensus without a consensus”. Hou is unable to criticize the CCP and also unable to effectively represent the will of the Taiwanese people. Hou continues to evade the issue, refusing to explicitly and firmly reject the One China Principle and the 1992 Consensus.
Hsieh evoked the words of Chairman Lai Ching-te, stating that “no political party should threaten the people with war for political gain.” Hou’s lack of responsibility and accountability harms the welfare and interest of the Taiwanese people and is not representative of a presidential candidate. Hsieh urged Hou to clearly define his position on the 1992 Consensus and the One China Principle, instead of beating around the bush, deceiving, and threatening the Taiwanese people with war.
