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Taiwan holds televised election debate for candidates of next deputy leader

(Xinhua)

11:00, December 11, 2011

TAIPEI, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- A televised debate among three candidates for Taiwan's next deputy leader was staged Saturday, highlighting cross-Strait political and economic issues, for next month's Taiwan leader election.

The three candidates touched upon topics such as stances on the reunification of Taiwan and the Chinese mainland and the "Taiwan independence," last year's signing of the cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), among other cross-Strait issues, during the second face-to-face debate before the Jan. 14, 2012 election.

Wu Den-yih, who is incumbent Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou's running mate and currently chief of Taiwan's executive authority, said the signing of the ECFA aims to "help people do business and enhance Taiwan's competitiveness." Ma is seeking a second term.

The ECFA did not speed up Taiwan's inclination toward the mainland market, but ensured the island's utmost interests instead, Wu said, adding that if Ma, who is also chairman of Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party, did not win during the upcoming election, cross-Strait peace and stability would not be maintained.

However, Wu's main rival Su Jia-chyuan, the running mate of Tsai Ing-wen who campaigned for Taiwan's next leader representing major opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), claimed that Taiwan is a "sovereign state" and its fate would be decided by Taiwanese themselves, no matter it would become independent or unified with the mainland, or maintain the status quo.

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（Editor：马茜）

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Fat-Chun Leung Ki at 2011-12-11188.61.105.*: Under the present de facto outcome of 1949 Chinese Civil War, Taiwan does not show any enthusiasm for tighter political relations with China despite the efforts made by the latter. For most Taiwanese they regarded China as a country to make maximum profits from, taking advantage that the mainland has offered them as sops.For example, despite China"s policy to open its market with preferences to Taiwanese companies, mainland companies are not treated likewise in reciprocity and in fact in many economic sectors they are still treated with discrimination compared with Japanese or South Korean companies. Many real-estates companies owned or partially-owned by Taiwanese are allowed to operate on the mainland. In some cases, mainland tenants are being evicted in connivance corrupt local authorities to make ways for these companies to build highrises and commercial malls. That"s not all; even under Ma Yingjiu Taiwan has spent large amounts of money to equip itself with modern weaponry and seeking alliance with other countries. It is very difficult to regard such acts as friendly or even neutral.