(Taipei) Taiwan’s presidential candidates have expressed their desire for peaceful relations with Beijing, which has portrayed the Jan. 13 elections on the self-ruled island as a choice between war and peace, and has stepped up harassment of the territory that China claims as its own.
Lai Ching-te, the frontrunner and current vice president of the country and member of the ruling Democratic Party, said in a televised debate on Saturday that he was ready to communicate with the government in Beijing, which refused to speak with him or with President Tsai Ing-wen.
Beijing favors the candidate of the more China-friendly nationalist party, known as the Kuomintang, and has accused Mr Lai and Mrme Tsai of being “separatists” who are trying to provoke a Chinese attack on Taiwan.
Taiwan broke away from China amid civil war in 1949, but Beijing continues to view the island of 23 million and its high-tech economy as Chinese territory and has steadily increased its threatens to achieve this objective by military force if necessary.
Tensions with China were at the heart of the presidential campaign.
China has also increased its military pressure on the island by sending military planes and ships near the island almost daily. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry also reported this month that Chinese balloons, which could be used for espionage, were flying nearby.
PHOTO YAN ZHAO, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Three Taiwanese military boats patrol the Matsu Islands. On the horizon: the Chinese province of Fujian.
Differences over Taiwan constitute a major flashpoint in U.S.-China relations. United States relations with the island are governed by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, which makes American policy a means of guaranteeing Taiwan the resources necessary for its defense and preventing any unilateral change of status on the part of Taiwan. from Beijing.
Mr Lai – who leads most polls – has promised to help strengthen Taiwan’s defense and economy if elected.
“As long as there is equality and dignity on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan’s door will always be open,” he said during the debate. I am willing to conduct exchanges and cooperation with China to improve the well-being of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. »
“The international community has realized the threat that China poses to Taiwan and the international community,” Lai said. In fact, everyone is already preparing to react. We should… unite and cooperate to ensure peace. »
Hou Yu-ih, the Kuomintang candidate, also said he sought peaceful relations with Beijing.
The Kuomintang had previously supported unification with China, but the party has changed its position in recent years as the Taiwanese electorate increasingly identifies as Taiwanese – rather than Chinese – and wishes to maintain the status quo in its relations with Beijing.
Mr. Hou said he opposed Taiwan’s independence, but also possible unification under China’s “one country, two systems” framework, which Beijing has used to govern Hong Kong, a former British colony returned to China. to China in 1997. Mr. Hou said he sought “democracy and freedom” for Taiwan.
The third candidate, Ko Wen-je of the smaller Taiwan People’s Party, referenced a quote from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding U.S.-China relations, saying that “Taiwan and “China will cooperate if they can cooperate, compete if there is a need to compete, and compete if they must compete.”
“People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are the same race and have the same history, language, religion and culture, but at this stage we have a different political system and way of life” , argued Mr. Ko, adding that “Taiwan needs autonomy and both sides of the Taiwan Strait need peace.”
“We must make the Chinese government understand that my objective is that Taiwan must maintain its political system, and its current democratic and free way of life,” argued Mr. Ko. “Only if these conditions are met will we be able to dialogue . »