BEIJING/TAIPEI (Reuters) – China and the Kuomintang, Taiwan’s main opposition party favoring rapprochement with Beijing, said on Thursday that Taiwan’s outgoing vice president, Lai Ching-te, would represent a serious danger to peace if he won in the presidential election on January 13.
Voters on the island claimed by China as one of its provinces are called to the polls on Saturday to choose a new president, in a one-round vote, and renew Parliament.
These elections are being closely followed by the international community, primarily by Washington, which supports Taiwan militarily, in a context of tensions between Taipei and Beijing.
Lai Ching-te, who defends the territory’s autonomy while unsuccessfully pleading for dialogue with Beijing, is the candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which accuses the Chinese authorities of interference.
Under the Constitution, outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen, also a member of the DPP, cannot run again after serving two terms of four years each.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement that Lai Ching-te was a “stubborn Taiwanese independence activist” and that if he came to power he would continue to promote separatism.
“I sincerely hope that the majority of fellow Taiwanese recognize the extreme harmfulness of the DPP’s line on Taiwan independence and the extreme danger of Lai Ching-te triggering confrontation and conflict between the two shores of the strait, and that they will make the right choice at the crossroads of relations between the two sides of the strait,” added a spokesperson.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry responded by condemning China for “once again blatantly intimidating the Taiwanese people and the international community” and seeking to influence the election.
The Kuomintang (KMT) also denounced Lai Ching-te’s desire for independence.
Speaking to foreign reporters in New Taipei City, KMT vice-presidential candidate Jaw Shaw-kong said Thursday that if Lai Ching-te wins, tensions will most likely increase before May 20 , date of the transfer of power.
“The Taiwan Strait is already under tension. If Lai Ching-te wins, do you think the situation between the two sides of the Strait will be better than it is today?” he asked .
The KMT presidential candidate is Hou Yu-ih.
Lai Ching-te’s campaign team said Jaw Shaw-kong was aligning with China’s interests and regaining its positions, while “spreading fear of war.”
“Jaw Shaw-kong only thinks about unification” with China, said a DPP spokesperson.
Taiwan’s independence is “incompatible with peace”, underlined the Chinese Taiwan Affairs Office.
(Reporting Ryan Woo and James Pomfret; with contributions from Ben Blanchard; written by James Pomfret; French version Augustin Turpin, edited by Sophie Louet)
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