The battle for the 2024 general election is heating up. Spokespersons from the four camps of Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Lai Qingde, Kuomintang presidential candidate Hou Youyi, People’s Party presidential candidate Ko Wenzhe, and Hon Hai founder Terry Gou gathered together on the evening of the 15th to talk about their respective cross-strait, ideas of diplomacy and residential justice, and sparked heated debate.
The Asia Pacific Youth Association and National Taiwan University Political Science Association held the “2024 Campus Presidential Marathon 2.0 – Spokesperson Relay” on the 15th, inviting Hou Youyi campaign office spokesperson Li Lizhen, Ko Wenzhe campaign office spokesperson Chen Zhihan, Gou Taiming campaign office spokesperson Huang Shixiu and Lai Qingde to campaign Office spokesperson Zhao Yixiang shared and exchanged views on cross-strait relations, international diplomacy and residential justice.
Regarding the cross-strait section, Huang Shixiu first pointed out that the definition of the status quo is that there is no war between the two sides of the strait and they can communicate peacefully. Therefore, Terry Gou advocates the “1992 Consensus of One China, Each Representative” and communicates with the other side based on the position of the Republic of China.
Chen Zhihan said that according to surveys conducted by the Academia Sinica over the past eight years, people who prefer to maintain the status quo have gradually surpassed those who choose independence. This echoes the international situation and shows that people are increasingly worried about going to the battlefield. For Ke Wenzhe, both sides of the Taiwan Strait have their own sovereignty. The right to govern is the status quo.
Li Lizhen believes that while the DPP is criticizing the other side of the Taiwan Strait, it is actually undermining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. What the people want to maintain is peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and exchanges without conflict. The Kuomintang’s expectation is also that the people will have goodwill and the government will be less hostile.
Zhao Yixiang said that looking back in the future, we will find that President Tsai Ing-wen has worked hard to create the greatest domestic consensus on cross-Strait issues in order to respond to challenges from the other side. This consensus is that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country named the Republic of China.
In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zhao Yixiang questioned how Ke Wenzhe could steadily promote diplomacy if elected because he frequently made gaffes on diplomatic issues. Chen Zhihan responded by asking whether Lai Ching-te had “no path to Taiwan independence” in the past, present and future, and Lai Ching-te once called out the goal of “Taiwan’s president entering the White House.” Isn’t it a gaffe?
Huang Shixiu said that Terry Gou entered the White House before he was elected president and met with former US President Donald Trump. Li Lizhen said that what is discussed in diplomacy is national interests, which is different from Gou Taiming’s private commercial interests.
