Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) rejected the idea of signing a peace treaty with China in a Wednesday “hallway chat” with reporters, saying no such agreement could be forged while Beijing refuses to eliminate the possibly of using force to assert its sovereignty over Taiwan.
“I believe that Taiwanese society will never accept any political agreements that would destroy or harm national sovereignty and Taiwan’s democracy,” said Tsai at the Presidential Office Building.
Tsai also told CNN in an interview published later Wednesday that Asia should be wary of the growing military threat posed by China. “If it’s Taiwan today, people should ask who’s next?” said Tsai. “Any country in the region – if it no longer wants to submit to the will of China, they would face similar military threats.”
Tsai announced on Tuesday she would seek re-election as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate for the 2020 presidential election.
Kuomintang (KMT) chairman and potential 2020 candidate Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) has recently touted the idea of a potential cross-Strait peace treaty, although Wu has since tempered his enthusiasm over such an idea.
Other news from Taiwan:
► Taiwan’s Cabinet has rolled out a comprehensive draft bill to legalize same-sex marriage and enshrine rights for same-sex couples. The News Lens will continue to cover the historic legislation as more details are revealed today. (CNA)
► A crew member on a Taiwanese fishing vessel killed a crewmate in an incident that ended with hostages being taken. The incident occurred aboard the Wen Peng in the Indian Ocean. (Taipei Times)
► Taiwan’s presidential candidates from all parties are scheduling their visits to the United States for “job interviews.” (Nikkei Asian Review)
► Taiwan’s third deadly factory fire in the past 14 months has sparked uncomfortable questions about industrial fire safety standards and securing the rights of migrant workers. (The Diplomat)
► Here’s the Chinese state media take on Tsai’s Tuesday announcement that she will seek re-election. (Global Times)
Read Next: Washington and Taipei Are Struggling to Bridge the Cultural and Information Gap
Editor: Nick Aspinwall (@Nick1Aspinwall)
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more like it in your news feed, please be sure to like our Facebook page below.
