TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) on Tuesday rejected KMT Vice Chair Hsiao Hsu-tsen’s (蕭旭岑) description of “One Nation, Two Areas,” saying the concept is incompatible with the Constitution.

Hsiao said in a Monday interview that former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) share the same cross-strait policy, claiming both follow the so-called 1992 Consensus and what he termed “One Nation, Two Areas,” which he described as a shared political foundation with China, per TVBS. He argued that independence is no longer a viable option for Taiwan, per ETtoday.

When asked whether such a framework exists under the Constitution, Liu reiterated that Taiwanese citizens must renounce foreign nationalities to hold elected office, per Liberty Times. She said the Constitution is “very clear” on related matters and added she did not fully understand what Hsiao intended to convey.

DPP lawmakers offered sharper rebukes. Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) argued that Cheng also supports “One Nation, Two Areas,” suggesting that a vote for KMT Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩), expected to be the party’s candidate for Kaohsiung mayor, would be equivalent to supporting Cheng, per Storm Media. She stressed that the people of Kaohsiung do not want to share a political foundation with China. 

DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) warned that Hsiao’s framing risks undermining the ROC if the “nation” in question is not clearly defined, per Newtalk. He accused the KMT of “practically becoming an executive branch of the CCP in Taiwan,” adding that the party is becoming a major internal threat.

TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), responding to questions about Hsiao’s remarks, said national sovereignty belongs to Taiwan’s 23 million people, per Z. Media. He reiterated the TPP’s commitment to safeguarding Taiwan’s way of life, including liberty, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.

Huang added that differing cross-strait views require communication to reduce tensions.