TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A report released Wednesday (Jan. 3) by the German think-tank Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation for Freedom (FNF) concludes that the issue between Taiwan and China is "not unification but forced unification."
National Taiwan University's sociology Ph.D. candidate, Sie Da-wun, and FNF Global Innovation Hub's Program Officer, Lai Yu-fen, jointly wrote the report, countering a common misinterpretation regarding Taiwanese political parties.
They stated that people's assumption that the Kuomintang (KMT) supports unification for being pro-China and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supports independence for being anti-China is an oversimplification or distortion.
Since Taiwan's democratization, the Taiwanese people have consistently opposed "annexation" or "unification" as imposed by the Beijing government. The paper reminds readers that even pro-China presidents like Ma Ying-jeou reiterated their opposition to unification during their term, using the slogan 'no unification, no independence, and no use of force.'
In an interview with Voice of America (VOA), Sie Da-wun noted that recent elections discussions in Taiwan were not about unification or independence, but rather how to avoid annexation or forced unification.
The report quotes DPP supporters worried about cutting economic ties with China, reducing dependency, and whether taking the old route would escalate the risk of economic coercion.
KMT supporters, on the other hand, fear the DPP may not communicate with China due to their ideology, possibly leading to war risks.
High-ranking KMT figures, including KMT Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia and vice-presidential candidate Jaw Shaw-kong, have had to emphasize that the KMT has no plans to discuss unification with China, Sie wrote.
Ultimately, the report aims to clarify to international observers and the media that "unification has no market in Taiwan," and whatever the election outcome, it shouldn't be misinterpreted as an inclination by Taiwanese people towards unification or closer ties with China.
