ROC presidential candidates square off in 1st debate
2015/12/29
Candidates Eric Chu of the Kuomintang, Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party and James Soong of the People First Party faced off in the first of two televised debates Dec. 27 for the upcoming 2016 ROC presidential election.
Issues covered by the three hopefuls included international relations, trade liberalization and cross-strait interactions. Chu proposed a three-pronged strategy to stimulate sustainable growth, vowing to expand the ROC’s international space by building on the foundation of improved ties between Taiwan and mainland China.
“Over the last seven years, the ruling KMT has made significant headway in cross-strait peace and stability in line with the 1992 consensus. The progress has led to the deepening of international cooperation spanning tourism, trade and people-to-people exchanges,” he said, citing the visa-free entry or other privileges now offered by 158 countries to ROC passport holders.
Additionally, Chu pledged to boost the nation’s global competitiveness while raising the minimum wage from NT$20,008 (US$610) to NT$30,000 in four years. He also plans to reform Taiwan’s taxation system so as to reduce wealth inequality in society.
The sentiments were echoed by Soong, who said Taiwan should seek to promote financial stability and economic growth by implementing across-the-board reforms.
“What we need is a structural overhaul across the public and private sectors,” he said. “Domestically, we must make Taiwan an ideal place to live by fostering infrastructure development. Looking outward, we should create a southbound path for trade growth, helping local enterprises to set up footholds in countries like Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines.”
On the topic of economic policies, Tsai pointed out the government should stand behind the local industrial sector in the race against global competitors.
“A more aggressive strategy is required to assist the nation’s key industries in enacting structural upgrades and strengthening competitive advantages,” she said. “We must look to broaden the scope of Taiwan’s industrial players, extending their reach in global industry value chains.”
Highlighting Japan and South Korea’s experiences, Tsai said her government will put in place a protective mechanism when negotiating Taiwan’s participation in regional integration initiatives like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, as well as the goods and services trade pacts with mainland China.
According to a survey released Dec. 28 by local paper United Daily News, the KMT ticket won 19 percent of support from respondents, while the DPP and PFP candidates gained 39 percent and 12 percent, respectively, after the debate. In addition, 30 percent of the respondents said they had yet to make up their minds.
Regarding the candidates’ performances, Chu tied Soong at 21 percent, while Tsai garnered the approval of 31 percent of viewers. Approximately 7 percent said it was a draw among the three, and 21 percent said they had no opinion.
Conducted Dec. 27 via telephone interviews after the debate, the UDN poll received valid responses from 1,015 individuals aged 20 and above. It has a 95 percent confidence level and an error margin of 3.1 percent.
The second and final debate for presidential candidates is scheduled for Jan. 2, ahead of the nationwide ballots Jan. 16.
Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=240718&ctNode=2194&mp=9)
