Taiwan should be silent on Xi's unification formula: Taipei mayor

Taipei, May 31 (CNA) Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) reiterated his stance Friday that Taiwan should remain silent on the topic of "one country, two systems," the unification formula Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) laid out earlier this year.

Ko, who is widely seen as a presidential hopeful, said Thursday that "it would be best to not say anything," as discussions regarding "one country, two systems" have formed an unmanageable vicious circle, after he criticized President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文)'s China policy May 15 as "provocative."

In response to Xi's Jan. 2 unification proposal, Tsai said that "Taiwan will never accept the 'one country, two systems' formula, and the vast majority of Taiwan's people are firmly opposed to the approach designed by Beijing."

Rejecting Ko's comment, Tsai told reporters in Tainan Friday that it is important that Taiwan is clear on topics that concern the interests of the Taiwanese people.

It is equally important, she said, to avoid misjudgment and misunderstanding by members of the international community and China.

Tsai said that perhaps Ko prefers to ignore such topics. However, as president, she said, she represents the country and the will of people and has to be clear about what Taiwanese people will and will not accept.

Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺), vice chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), Taiwan's top China policymaking body, declined to comment on Ko's remark, but said that the majority of Taiwanese people do not agree with China's "one country, two systems" formula.

The 59-year-old Ko, a physician-turned-independent politician, bills himself as representing a third political force in Taiwan, distinct from the Kuomintang-led pan-blue and the DPP-led pan-green camps.

During a recent trip to Japan, Ko said he is "preparing" to run in Taiwan's 2020 presidential race, but indicated that he had not yet made a final decision.