ELECTION 2024/Taiwan VP candidates clash over diplomacy, China in debate

Taipei, Jan. 1 (CNA) Vice presidential candidates of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) clashed over foreign policy during a televised debate Monday in the run up to the Jan. 13 election.

The DPP's Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) pledged to expand Taiwan's international participation despite pressure from Beijing while the KMT's Jaw Shau-kong (趙少康) said if elected the party would return to a "diplomatic truce" with China.

The debate, which was aired live beginning at 2 p.m., also included Wu Hsin-ying (吳欣盈) of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), who promised a more balanced foreign policy.

Diplomatic issues

Hsiao said that as Taiwan's former top representative to the United States, she has witnessed firsthand how Beijing is working to isolate Taiwan on the world stage.

Despite the extreme challenges Taipei faces diplomatically, Hsiao said the DPP administration has been able to work closer with like-minded countries, including the U.S., to expand Taiwan's global participation over the past few years.

She also cited ongoing talks between Taipei and Washington in sealing a potential double taxation avoidance agreement, despite the lack of official diplomatic ties.

Hsiao made the comments when asked by a local media representative how to expand the nation's diplomatic participation amid Chinese pressure.

Answering the same question, the KMT's Jaw cited former Foreign Minister Fredrick Chien (錢復) as saying that Taiwan's China policy "must take priority over foreign policy."

The DPP does not believe that, which is why it lost nine diplomatic allies since it took power in May 2016, Jaw said.

He also criticized the DPP for Taiwan being unable to participate in any international organizations such as the World Health Assembly and INTERPOL.

The DPP government's decision to allow imports of meat products containing ractopamine from the U.S. and lift a ban on the import of Japanese food products from nuclear-disaster affected areas did not result in Taiwan being granted access to a regional trade bloc nor free trade agreements with Japan and the U.S., Jaw said.

As such, Taiwan needs to return to the "diplomatic truce" it reached with China during the previous KMT administration led by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) from 2008 to 2016.

The "diplomatic truce" meant Taiwan and China stopped vying for the recognition of each other's allies, according to Jaw.

On the same issue, Wu said the TPP will focus instead on more practical diplomacy and promoting "Track II" diplomacy, with non-governmental organizations helping the diplomatically embattled Taiwanese government to perform essential diplomatic functions internationally. "Track-II" refers to non-official contacts.

Wu also proposed signing more free trade agreements with Taiwan's major trading partners to enhance practical exchanges.

National defense issues

On national defense, all the three vice presidential picks said their respective parties agree to raise Taiwan's national defense budget to a higher percentage of annual GDP amid increasing Chinese military coercion.

However, Jaw said that no matter how much Taiwan spends on its self-defense, China is much larger and will always spend more whatever Taiwan does. "But that does not mean we just give up."

He reiterated the KMT stance on enhancing the Taiwan military's capabilities so as to be able to strike Chinese coastal areas to serve as better deterrent to invasion.

Jaw also proposed raising the starting monthly salary for volunteer servicemen stationed in combat units by NT$20,000 (US$651) as an incentive for people to serve in the nation's armed forces.

Sharing a similar view, the TPP's Wu said her party proposed raising Taiwan's defense budget to 3 percent of GDP -- higher than the record 2.5 percent the DPP government detailed in its 2024 budget proposal, as well as offering higher pay to service persons.

Hsiao made similar remarks in offering higher salaries to Taiwanese troops while assuring that the ongoing indigenous warplane and warship building projects will continue if the DPP wins another four years in office.

She also addressed a statement by the KMT's Jaw that the DPP "is the largest source of risk in cross-strait relations."

"It is now a common understanding around the globe that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is the one that is causing cross-strait tension, not the DPP," Hsiao said.

There is no DPP in the Philippines nor Japan but Manila still has tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea and Tokyo is also expected to increase its defense budget due to Chinese aggression, according to Hsiao.

ROC Constitution and "1992 consensus"

When asked about each party's stance on the ROC Constitution and the "1992 consensus" by a media representative, Hsiao reiterated that the ruling DPP has always upheld the ROC Constitution and related local laws when dealing with China over the past eight years.

Hsiao, however, accused the KMT of attempting to link the "1992 consensus" with the ROC Constitution because China has never officially recognized part of the so-called consensus that it is open to different interpretation of "One China," meaning the ROC or PRC.

Hsiao was referring to the fact that the KMT's 2024 presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) has said he supports a "1992 consensus" that is in line with Taiwan's laws and Constitution, which he said provides a legal framework for relations with China.

In response, Jaw said during Monday's debate that both sides of the Taiwan Strait could reach consensus even though they do not agree on how to interpret the consensus.

"Consensus means he can have his own interpretation and I can have my interpretation but the important thing is both sides now have a shared password [for dialogue]," Jaw said.

He also pointed out that the KMT has never said it accepts the so-called "one country-two systems" formula proposed by Beijing as claimed by the DPP.

Explaining the TPP's stance on cross-strait issues, Wu accused the KMT of being "too pro-China" and the DPP of being "too anti-China," saying both approaches are bad for Taiwan.

The TPP upholds the principle of maintaining the cross-strait status quo and working with China whenever possible, Wu added.

Since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office in May 2016, China has cut official communications with Taiwan, primarily due to the DPP's rejection of the "1992 consensus."

According to the KMT, the term referred to a tacit understanding reached in 1992 between the then KMT government and the Chinese government. It has been consistently interpreted by the KMT as an acknowledgment by both sides that there is only "one China," with each side free to interpret what "China" means.

The DPP, however, has never acknowledged the "1992 consensus," arguing that Beijing allows no room for the interpretation of "China" as the ROC, and that acceptance of the consensus implies agreement with China's claim over Taiwan.

Monday's televised debate was the only debate for vice presidential candidates in Taiwan before the Jan. 13 elections.

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