KMT Proposal on 'Peaceful Unification' Sparks DPP Challenge Over Stance on 'One Country, Two Systems'

A proposal by a Kuomintang (KMT) Central Standing Committee member to study "peaceful unification" and prepare for cross-strait negotiations has ignited a sharp response from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The DPP on Tuesday demanded KMT Chairwoman Jaw Shaw-kong clarify her party's position on key issues, including opposition to "one country, two systems," acceptance of Xi Jinping's unification plan, and adherence to the party's anti-communist platform.

The KMT's Central Standing Committee member, Wei Po-tao, proposed that the party should research "peaceful unification" discourse and prepare for cross-strait negotiations. The proposal was sent to the KMT's think tank for review. In response, the DPP's China Affairs Department issued three direct questions to Jaw Shaw-kong and other KMT leaders. They asked if the KMT opposes "one country, two systems," if they agree with Xi Jinping's "peaceful unification" proposal, and if they still uphold the party's charter that explicitly opposes communism.

The DPP criticized the KMT, stating that the party's think tank publicly declared "peaceful unification is the future direction of the nation and also stipulated in our party charter." This, the DPP argued, indicates a formal internal discussion within the KMT about adopting "one country, two systems" and "peaceful unification" as political routes, thereby paving the way for Chinese leader Xi Jinping's unification agenda.

Furthermore, the DPP pointed out that the KMT's current discussions on exploring "one country, two systems," "peaceful unification," and "party-to-party negotiations" closely mirror the political framework outlined in Xi Jinping's "Five Points." The DPP asserted that this goes beyond ordinary cross-strait exchanges and instead involves finding a Taiwanese version of discourse under Beijing's predetermined unification premise, effectively serving Xi's unification plan. The party cited a recent Mainland Affairs Council poll showing that 79.7% of Taiwanese people do not approve of "one country, two systems," and 87.1% reject accepting Communist Party rule for the sake of "peaceful unification," highlighting a stark contrast with the KMT's apparent direction.