COMMUNIST SYSTEM SHOULD NOT BE APPLIED TO TAIWAN

There is excitement in the Kuomintang party (KMT) about resuming dialogue with China and improving the situation in the Taiwan Strait.

- NAMRATA BIJI AHUJA

Chen-Dong Tso, foreign affairs adviser to KMT presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih, told THE WEEK that the party had prepared a blueprint for resuming the peace process. He said the KMT was committed to protecting Taiwan's sovereignty and its democratic system. Excerpts from the interview:

Q What are the KMT's plans to manage tensions with China?

A During the DPP rule under President Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan has been on the brink of war and we have seen a constant increase in Chinese military provocation. Chinese fighter jets and warships crossed the median line and also entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone. Chinese military exercises and provocations have raised eyebrows around the world as they indicate that a war is becoming imminent. Of course, the KMT politicians understand that the tensions are caused by Chinese provocation, but at the same time, there can be certain factors that aggravate the problem, especially as both sides do not have an open line of communication under the DPP rule.