TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — New Taipei City Mayor and Prospective Kuomintang (KMT) presidential candidate Hou You-yi (侯友宜) on Monday (May 8) made his political stances on Taiwan Independence and China's "one country, two systems" formula clear for the first time publicly.
At a session of the New Taipei City Council, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) councilors pressed Hou on his stance on the two cross-strait issues. Hou responded by saying, "I oppose one country, two systems, uphold Taiwan's own democratic values, and move forward," reported CNA.
DPP New Taipei City Councilor Chen Chi-nen (陳啟能) said Hou may run for the presidency but has not condemned the intrusions by Chinese military aircraft around Taiwan. Hou said national sovereignty cannot be challenged and there must be preparations to meet China's threats.
Hou said that if there was war, he would definitely stand up to defend his family and the country. He added it was unnecessary to question his patriotic stance.
Chen then called Hou the "Mayor of New Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China." However, Hou immediately corrected him and said that he is the "Mayor of New Taipei City, Republic of China."
Chen said using the name Republic of China is equivalent to saying the Republic of China is independent, while using the name Taiwan is the same as saying Taiwan is independent. Hou said that the two are different.
Hou said that one has a legal basis under the Constitution of the Republic of China, but "Taiwan independence has no legal basis, so I oppose Taiwan independence."
He said ideology should not be used to undermine unity. "The Republic of China is our country, and Taiwan is our home. The home must be taken care of, the country must be taken care of, and both must be taken care of."
DPP Councilor Chang Chia-ling (張嘉玲) said that under Hong Kong's "one country, two systems" format, the number of directly elected members of its Legislative Council has been greatly reduced. Chang said the "1992 consensus" is "one country, two systems," and asked Hou whether he supported one country, two systems, per CNA.
Hou replied, "I oppose one country, two systems, uphold Taiwan's own democratic values, and move forward."
Chia asked Hou's opinion on former President Ma Ying-jeou's claim that Taiwan and the "mainland" belong to the same China. Hou replied that according to the Constitution of the Republic of China, "The Republic of China is our country, and Taiwan is our tshù (Taiwanese word for home)," and this belief would never change.
"Though he has implied both by previous statements made on the Republic of China, this is the first time he has explicitly taken unequivocal stands on both Taiwan independence and 'one country, two systems,'" said Taichung-based political commentator and senior journalist Courtney Donovan Smith.