TAIPEI: Taiwan's two main opposition parties, which have vowed to renew talks with China, agreed on Wednesday to make a decision on a joint presidential ticket for January's elections, as the front-running ruling party decried interference from Beijing.
The issue of China, which views Taiwan as its territory, looms over the Jan. 13 parliamentary and presidential elections. China has stepped up military and political pressure to press the island to accept its sovereignty claim, which Taiwan rejects, including high-profile war games.
Vice President Lai Ching-te, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate, has almost consistently led opinion polls, leaving candidates of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), Hou Yu-ih, and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), Ko Wen-je, to battle it out for second place.
The KMT and TPP have been in acrimonious talks since last month on a united presidential bid, but had failed to agree how to decide who should be the presidential candidate and who should be the running mate.
After talks hosted by former president Ma Ying-jeou, also a senior KMT member, the two parties said they had agreed to use opinion polls conducted between Nov. 7 and this Friday to decide the make-up of the presidential bid with the result to be announced on Saturday.
"No matter what, whoever is the lead and whoever is the deputy, everyone will work together," Hou told reporters, referring to who gets the presidential candidate spot and who the gets the vice presidential one.
"The cooperation isn't only just between the KMT and the TPP. It will unite Taiwan," Hou told business leaders after the talks.
China cut off routine talks with Taiwan after President Tsai Ing-wen of the DPP took office in 2016. The two opposition parties have vowed to pursue dialogue with China, on an equal and dignified basis, and "restore peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait".
OPPOSITION CHALLENGE
Chen Yi-fan, an assistant professor of diplomacy and international relations at Taiwan's Tamkang University, said if Hou and Kou did not work together then Lai would certainly win.
"The U.S. and China both want stabilised Taiwan Strait relations. Lai may not be the ideal person for this," Chen said.
As the talks got underway, the DPP accused Ma, who last week came out in support of using opinion polls, which the KMT had previously opposed, of taking his instructions from China, given the head of Ma's foundation, Hsiao Hsu-tsen, had visited Beijing this month.
"It is not baseless to say, as Vice President Lai has repeatedly done so, that it is China's communist party which most wants to take down the DPP," the party said in a statement.
Hsiao rebuffed that, telling reporters he had been in Beijing purely for an academic forum.
China detests Lai, believing he is a separatist. Lai says only Taiwan's people can decide their future and has repeatedly offers talks with Beijing, which has rejected the offers.
The DPP champions Taiwan's separate identity from China.
Some opinion polls have shown that if Hou and Ko teamed up, in whatever combination, they would beat Lai and his presumptive running mate, Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan's envoy to the United States. The DPP has not confirmed Hsiao will join the campaign.
The KMT has far larger representation than the TPP, controlling 38 of 113 seats in parliament to the TPP's five.
A fourth candidate is also running for president - Terry Gou, the billionaire founder of major Apple supplier Foxconn.
Gou, who has called for the opposition to unite to take on the DPP, has lagged in the polls and the KMT and TPP made no mention of him in announcing their decision to work together.
Candidates have until Friday of next week to register with the election commission.
Reuters
Wed Nov 15 2023
Taiwan's Kuomintang Chairman and Taiwan People’s Party Chairman pose for a group photo in Taipei. - REUTERS
Nahas helikopter Lumut: Kerajaan tidak bercadang gantung sementara helikoper Fennec, HOM
Kerajaan setakat ini tidak bercadang untuk menggantung sementara perkhidmatan helikopter jenis Fennec dan HOM.
Kejohanan Dunia Boling Padang: Tiga gangsa dalam tangan, misi tukar warna pingat
Skuad boling padang negara layak ke pusingan separuh akhir dalam kesemua kategori yang dipertandingkan di Kejohanan Dunia Dalam Dewan 2024.
Amerika Syarikat mungkin haramkan firma dron China, DJI
Amerika Syarikat kini turut sedang pertimbangkan DJI sebagai ancaman sekuriti, dan mungkin melakukan perundangan untuk mengharamkan DJI.
Bersatu ambil tindakan susulan terhadap enam ahli Parlimen - Muhyiddin
Bersatu sedang melaksanakan tindakan susulan terhadap enam ahli Parlimennya yang menyokong Perdana Menteri selepas meminda Perlembagaan parti bulan lalu.
'Made in Malaysia' - Apple punyai 19 kilang pembekal di negara ini
Malaysia merupakan salah satu negara yang mempunyai beberapa kilang pembekal yang menawarkan komponen kepada Apple.
SPRM lancar bilik gerakan PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu
SPRM melancarkan bilik gerakan, bagi membolehkan orang ramai menyalurkan maklumat serta aduan berkaitan perbuatan rasuah dan salah guna kuasa.
WEF anjur mesyuarat khas di Arab Saudi ketika suhu geopolitik Asia Barat memanas
WEF keluar dari kelazimannya dengan menganjurkan mesyuarat khas dua hari, 28-29 April 2024 di Riyadh, Arab Saudi.
Kerajaan rangka hala tuju beri lebih banyak perlindungan kepada kanak-kanak
Kerajaan akan merangka hala tuju bagi memberikan lebih banyak perlindungan dari segi undang-undang kepada kanak-kanak di negara ini.
Tiada tepung di pasaran tempatan mengandungi benzoil peroksida melebihi kadar dibenarkan - KKM
Tiada mana-mana jenama tepung di pasaran tempatan mengandungi benzoil peroksida melebihi paras yang dibenarkan di bawah undang-undang.
Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: Semua delegasi diminta pulang, FFC akan maklumkan tarikh baharu misi
Menurut Jawatankuasa Pemandu FFC, Ann Wright, pihaknya akan memaklumkan perkembangan terbaharu kepada semua delegasi terlibat sekiranya tarikh akhir pelayaran ditetapkan.
Gempa bumi sederhana dikesan di Taiwan
Gempa bumi dengan kedalaman 10 kilometer (km) itu berlaku pada jarak 71 km tenggara dari Taichung, Taiwan.
Kejohanan Olahraga Tiger Klasik: Azeem rekod masa terpantas 2024
Muhammad Azeem merekodkan prestasi terbaiknya musim ini apabila merakamkan 10.31 saat dalam acara 100m Kejohanan Olahraga Tiger Klasik, di Taiwan.
Gempa bumi di Taiwan diunjur beri kesan minimum kepada industri semikonduktor Malaysia
Antara bangunan di Hualien yang runtuh akibat gempa bumi yang melanda timur Taiwan. FOTO CNA / AFP
'Tanah Besar China, Taiwan sedarah sedaging' - Presiden Xi
Tanah Besar China dan Taiwan sedarah sedaging dan hubungan antara kedua-dua pantai Selat Taiwan harus ditangani dengan menjaga kepentingan keseluruhan dan memacu pembangunan untuk jangka masa panjang.
Dua warga Singapura hilang selepas gempa bumi di Taiwan - Laporan
Pejabat Perdagangan Singapura di Taipei berhubung rapat dengan pihak berkuasa tempatan mengenai perkara itu.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Gempa bumi Taiwan: Seorang terbunuh, lebih 50 orang cedera
Seorang terbunuh dan lebih 50 orang cedera selepas beberapa siri gempa bumi kuat melanda pantai timur Taiwan.
Gempa bumi 7.4 magnitud landa pantai timur Taiwan, amaran tsunami dikeluarkan
Jepun keluarkan amaran tsunami untuk pulau Miyakojima dan Okinawa serta amaran ombak setinggi tiga meter dijangka berlaku dalam masa terdekat.
Taiwan akan bina rangkaian internet satelit sendiri
Perkhidmatan seperti Starlink wujud, tetapi Taiwan risau ia boleh tergendala bila-bila masa mengikut kehendak SpaceX.
Skuad lelaki muncul juara kumpulan, jumpa Singapura di suku akhir BATC 2024
Lee Zii Jia memulakan rentak cemerlang dengan menewaskan juara Masters Kaohsiung 2023, Lin Chun Yi, 21-16, 21-13.