Breaking News, World News and Taiwan News.

Updated Saturday, December 24, 2011 0:05 am TWN, The China Post news staff



	The three presidential candidates, from left, Chairman James Soong of the People First Party, President Ma Ying-jeou of the ruling Kuomintang and Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party pose before their televised campaign platform presentations. Two more public presentations will be held for voters before the Jan. 14 election. (CNA) Enlarge Photo

Sponsors
▪	Save 75% for all hotels in Shanghai, Beijing and whole China. Lowest rates for Flights in China.
▪	Get the best deals for Guangzhou Hotels or choose from more than 10,000 hotels in 499 Chinese cities.
▪	Find great real time deals on China Flights. Book flights to China or China domestic flights 24/7.
▪	Buy china wholesale products from reliable chinese wholesalers on DHgate.com!

Candidates outline campaign policies

The three presidential candidates in the election set for next month outlined their major policies and stances in the first of three televised campaign platform presentations yesterday evening, with the focus on national positions, relations across the Taiwan Strait, foreign affairs and economic development.

Eligible voters heard mainly the repetition of the candidates' past statements concerning most of the political and cross-strait issues.

Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen of the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took the lead to present her policies by stressing that Taiwan is the Republic of China (R.O.C.) and the R.O.C. is Taiwan, in a bid to defuse public concern over her pursuit of Taiwan independence were she to win the presidential race on Jan. 14.

She warned that Taiwan will face ultimate unification with China if Ma is re-elected to another term.

Sovereignty

Tsai also continued blasting the administration led by President Ma Ying-jeou of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) for sacrificing Taiwan's sovereignty in exchange for concessions from China.

She scoffed at Ma's tendency to stick to the old concept that the nation's territories still cover many areas in mainland China.

Tsai said that Ma's policy of taking China as the panacea for Taiwan's economic problems has triggered uneasiness. Even think tanks and scholars in the U.S. have expressed grave concern over Ma's overtures toward China, she pointed out.

Yet she promised to start organizing a strong team, after getting elected, to negotiate with Beijing to improve bilateral ties, and help enterprises cultivate other export markets.

Tsai also steadfastly denied the existence of the so-called “1992 Consensus,” although Beijing has repeated that there could be backward development for the cross-strait relations if the Taiwan side rules out the “1992 Consensus.”

'Troublemaker'

For his turn, Ma said Tsai's statements were contrary to what he learned from U.S. officials and scholars, including former State Secretary Rice, who have complained about the role of “troublemaker” played by the former DPP government in which Tsai held senior posts, including vice premier.

Ma said that the nation's other allies as well as business and industry organizations like the American Chamber of Commerce agreed with his administration's efforts to improve ties with Beijing and secure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait area, which was once seen to have greater tensions than in the Korean Peninsula.

He also stressed that his administration never compromised Taiwan's sovereignty when negotiating and signing the 16 interchange and cooperative agreements with Beijing.

Chairman James Soong of the People First Party (PFP) criticized the position of Tsai and the DPP concerning the R.O.C.'s territory as violations of the nation's Constitution.

He also criticized Ma for failing to defend the Constitution because he did not rebuke Tsai's stance and remarks.

1|2|Next Page>>

Comments

December 24, 2011 carltanong@

Whatever Miss Tsai said in the two presidential debates and the televised campaign platform presentations, her every word will be considered WORTHLESS without MERIT to become the leader of our country and people because Tsai discarded the feelings of the people the RIGHT to know of her involvement in the Yu Chang scandal.

December 24, 2011 mtsai16@

When President Ma reminds us ad nauseum of his daily rituals with Absolute NEVER, I am already nauseated by the whiff of his chosen "facial cleanser".

Time magazine pretends to be more clairvoyant than the typical Taiwanese, gushing over Taiwan's current economic situation while taunting Europeans ranging from Greeks to even Germans (!). Which Time correspondent has lived in Taiwan for the past four years?

Most residents in Taiwan are not Christian. Yet Ma's pledge is eerily Christ-like.