TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan People's Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je announced his commitment to maintaining the foreign policy trajectory set forth by President Tsai Ing-wen, advocating for friendly communication across the Taiwan Strait in an interview aired on Wednesday (Dec. 6).
Extracted from an exclusive interview by CTS News, Ko's remarks reflect his strategy for Taiwan's delicate international positioning and cross-strait relations.
Ko declared his "inner core" allegiance to the "deep green" camp, which staunchly supports the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and expressed his belief that Taiwan has the opportunity to normalize its country status on the world stage.
Ko, who continued the Taipei-Shanghai City Forum during the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests despite rising tensions, argued that dialogue should persist regardless of the state of relationships.
Ko criticized the DPP's mindset towards China, stating that Taiwan should not consider China an enemy. However, he emphasized the need for Taiwan to maintain its self-defense capabilities, asserting that goodwill between the people of Taiwan and China is the safest defense strategy.
Ko outlined a pragmatic approach to Taiwan's military strategy and international challenges. He suggested focusing on rejoining the international community before addressing other issues, such as the country’s formal designation.
In his campaign, Ko compared his neutrality to his experience in emergency medicine, prioritizing care over patients' political affiliations, a stance he intends to adopt in his presidency by sidelining divisive politics for greater objectives.
Optimizing the benefits for Taiwan within the realms permitted by the U.S. and China, Ko asserted the necessity for balance among the levels of "preferable," "acceptable," and "tolerable" outcomes.
Acknowledging the challenges facing Taiwan's president, Ko proposed navigating a path acceptable to both superpowers, emphasizing the intricate balance required in Taiwan's international relations.
