TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Vice presidential candidate Hsiao Bi-Khim (蕭美琴) reaffirmed the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) position on the so-called “1992 consensus” at an event in Yunlin Country on Tuesday (Dec. 19).
Hsiao said the “1992 consensus” is outdated, reported UDN. She criticized the Kuomintang (KMT) for insisting on adherence to a 30-year-old policy, In contrast, she said the DPP remains focused on Taiwan’s future.
Hsiao noted that in 1992, when the KMT allegedly made its closed-door consensus without consulting the Taiwanese public, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平) was making promising moves toward economic liberalization. This led to significant investment from Taiwanese businesses into Chinese businesses.
Hsiao rhetorically asked supporters, “How can Taiwan move forward by advocating proposals from three decades ago?”
Under the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) put in place under the administration of Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) in 2010, investment in China for that year accounted for 70 or 80% of Taiwanese business investment overseas. In recent years, however, China has begun to institute unfair trade practices that directly harm Taiwan.
Given China’s current economic downturn, with an unemployment figure of 20% or higher, Hsiao said that Taiwan must diversify its economic relationships to avoid serious economic risks. “How are we supposed to deal with China’s domestic problems?” asked Hsiao.
The DPP has never acknowledged the legitimacy of any “1992 consensus” established between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party. Speaking in Taiwanese, Hsiao told voters that Taiwan has unfortunately “placed too many eggs in one basket, and now that basket has serious problems.”
On Thursday (Dec. 21), in a move that seemed to highlight Hsiao’s criticisms of cross-strait economic relations, China’s State Council said it plans to suspend preferential tariffs originally established under the ECFA, on 12 products imported from Taiwan. The measures target products related to petroleum production and refining, and will go into effect from Jan. 1.
