China, Taiwan opposition warn of threat to peace from ruling party
candidate
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[January 11, 2024]
By Ryan Woo and James Pomfret
BEIJING/TAIPEI (Reuters) -China and Taiwan's largest opposition party,
the Kuomintang (KMT), warned on Thursday of the danger Taiwan's ruling
party presidential candidate Lai Ching-te could pose to peace if he wins
election this weekend.
Taiwan will hold a pivotal presidential and parliamentary election on
Saturday, which is being closely watched internationally amid
geopolitical tensions. China claims Taiwan as its own territory, to the
objections of Taiwan's government.
China has not publicly named a preferred candidate or specified what the
right choice is, but has framed the vote as a decision between war and
peace.
China and the KMT have said the Democratic Progressive Party's Lai is a
dangerous supporter of the island's formal independence. Lai has
repeatedly offered talks with China but has been rebuffed. He says only
Taiwan's people can decide their future.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement that Lai is an
"obstinate Taiwan independence worker" and that if he came to power he
would further promote separatist activities.
"I sincerely hope the majority of Taiwan compatriots recognize the
extreme harm of the DPP's 'Taiwan independence' line and the extreme
danger of Lai Ching-te's triggering of cross-Strait confrontation and
conflict, and to make the right choice at the crossroads of cross-Strait
relations," it said.
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Taiwan's Foreign Ministry responded by condemning China for "once again
blatantly intimidating the Taiwanese people and the international
community" and seeking to affect the election.
China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its
control and has during the past four years stepped up military activity
around the island, regularly sending warplanes and warships into the
Taiwan Strait.
The KMT, which traditionally favors closer ties with China but denies
being pro-Beijing, has also denounced Lai as an independence supporter.
Speaking to foreign reporters in Taipei's sister city, New Taipei, on
Thursday, KMT vice presidential candidate Jaw Shaw-kong said that if Lai
won, tensions would most likely rise even before May 20, when President
Tsai Ing-wen hands over power to her successor.
"Tsai Ing-wen is more low key, not shouting every day about 'I'm for
Taiwan independence' and the Taiwan Strait is already so tense. If Lai
Ching-te wins, do you think the cross-strait situation will be better
than it is now?"
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![](../images/011124PIX/news_k3.jpg)
Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's vice president and the ruling Democratic
Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate, arrives to an
election campaign event in Kaohsiung, Taiwan December 22, 2023.
REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo
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Lai's campaign team said Jaw was aligning with China's interests and
parroting its positions, as well as "spreading fear of war".
"All Jaw Shaw-kong is thinking about is unification" with China,
said DPP spokesperson Tai Wei-shan.
Lai said on Tuesday that he would maintain the status quo in the
strait and pursue peace through strength if elected, remaining open
to engagement with Beijing under the preconditions of equality and
dignity.
Referring to Lai's comments, China's Taiwan Affairs Office said
Taiwan independence is "incompatible with peace".
Lai has said he does not seek to change Taiwan's formal name, the
Republic of China. The republican government fled to the island in
1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong's Communists, who
established the People's Republic of China.
The DPP has portrayed the KMT and its presidential candidate, Hou
Yu-ih, as pro-Beijing.
Hou, sitting next to Jaw, said he wouldn't touch the issue of
"unification" with China during his term in office if elected, while
maintaining the status quo and encouraging communication with China
but also opposing the "one country, two systems" autonomy model
Beijing has offered to Taiwan.
"I firmly uphold Taiwan's democratic and free system; this is the
middle path that Taiwan should take," Hou said, pledging to ensure
strong defenses to give China pause if it were considering an
attack. "When the Taiwan Strait is stable, Taiwan is safe, and the
world can be at ease."
(Reporting by Ryan Woo and James Pomfret; Additional reporting by
Ben Blanchard; Writing by James Pomfret; Editing by Kim Coghill,
Michael Perry and Tomasz Janowski)
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