On Saturday, in a debate before a forthcoming vote keenly watched from Beijing to Washington, Taiwan’s presidential candidates fought over their perspectives on the self-ruled island’s relations with China.
Democratic Taiwan is two weeks before the key election, the results of which might define Taipei’s future ties with an increasingly bellicose China.
Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has threatened to take it by force if necessary, and has suspended high-level ties with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s administration.
Her Democratic Progressive Party has mostly campaigned on a platform of independence from China, and Vice President Lai Ching-te has defined himself as a pragmatic worker for Taiwan’s independence.
During the live debate, his opponents continuously attacked him, claiming that his pro-independence remarks would undermine Taiwan’s security.
“The sovereignty of Taiwan belongs to the 23 million people in Taiwan. It does not belong to (China)”, Lai noted.
He went on to say that he and his running mate, Hsiao Bi-khim, were the only ones who could stand together with our democratic allies.
Communist China has increased military pressures on Taiwan in recent years, sending in daily warplanes and naval vessels around the island.
It has also conducted two large military drills that stimulated an island blockade, which coincided with Taiwanese authorities meeting with US officials.
Lai also accused Hou Yu-ih, the candidate for the Kuomintang (KMT) party, which is seen as having closer relations with Beijing, of being pro-China during the debate.
“I will not go backward (to the past) like the Kuomintang and be willing to become a vassal of totalitarianism… There are so many uncertainties regarding their policies and this is not the path we want to take”, Lai explained.
Lai was accused of smearing Hou.
“Communication and exchanges (with China) is what we need to do. Because you didn’t do that, that’s why we see great danger across the Taiwan Strait”, Hou explained.
He also reiterated his opposition to Taiwan’s independence and China’s ‘one country, two systems’ policy, which Beijing has promoted for the government of Chinese administrative territories Hong Kong and Macau.
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