US scholars praise Lai’s plan for preserving cross-strait peace
US scholars praise Lai’s plan for preserving cross-strait peace
2023-07-06
DPP presidential candidate Lai Ching-te has won fans in the U.S. with his plan to preserve cross-strait peace, as outlined in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. According to a former White House National Security Council staff member, Lai showed he would continue the policies of President Tsai Ing-wen – a key part of maintaining security and international relations. In contrast, the ex-staffer was blunt in his criticism of the KMT’s Hou Yu-ih. He said that Hou’s proposal for a shorter conscription term would not have a warm reception in Washington.
In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, Vice President Lai Ching-te proposed four “pillars” for maintaining cross-strait peace. U.S.-based scholar Bonnie Glaser said the proposal had fans in Washington, because it aligned with President Tsai Ing-wen’s cross-strait policy.
Ivan Kanapathy
CSIS senior associate
Vice President Lai is laying out a platform that will be consistent with what President Tsai Ing-wen carried out for the last seven and a half years for cross-strait relations and – I think – and for security and international relations, which I think is important, because Taiwan does need to increase its engagement with the rest of the world, increase its deterrence, I think that’s part of it, build up its economic security.
Think tank researcher and former White House National Security Council staff member Ivan Kanapathy praised Lai as a strong leader. He did not look favorably on the KMT candidate’s plan to cut down conscription to four months.
Ivan Kanapathy
CSIS senior associate
My view on the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement and reducing conscription, or holding it back to four months, both of those would not be very welcome decisions by most people here in the United States. Yeah, I think deterrence is a very, very important part of peace.
The scholar had diverging views on the two candidates’ cross-strait policies. Meanwhile, the KMT’s Hou Yu-ih took issue with Lai’s four pillars, saying they were built on a foundation of Taiwan independence. They would lead to Taiwan’s collapse, he said, drawing a sharp rebuke from the DPP.
Hou Yu-ih
New Taipei mayor
The path he has chosen is that of Tsai Ing-wen, and it’s a path that’s laden with the risk of war. The four pillars are built on the foundation of “practical Taiwan independence.” I believe that if Taiwan proceeds with them, it will swiftly collapse.
Lii Wen
DPP legislative candidate
In the op-ed, Vice President Lai Ching-te very clearly stated that maintaining the status quo serves the best interests of the Republic of China, Taiwan and the international community. The international community has affirmed the cross-strait and foreign policies of the Tsai administration and the DPP government, and that is because they’re highly predictable and stable, and because their cross-strait and foreign policies are consistent. We hope that Hou Yu-ih will not continue his misrepresentations and malicious smears.
Scholars say Lai is seen as a continuation of the Tsai administration. If Hou intends to critique his rival’s cross-strait policy, he must first earn the trust of the domestic and global audience.
賴清德投書外媒拋和平四大支柱 葛來儀：受華府歡迎
2023-07-06
賴清德競選總統，投書華爾街日報論述"四大支柱和平計畫"，美國學界一片好評，兩岸學者葛來儀盛讚將受到華府歡迎。前白宮國安會官員簡以榮也分析，賴清德遵循蔡總統過去對兩岸路線的主張，為了安全和國際關係，這點非常重要。倒是侯友宜提出的兵役縮短到四個月，簡以榮直言，不是一個好選項。
華爾街日報，副總統賴清德投書，提出’’和平四大支柱’’，華府兩岸專家葛來儀認為，賴清德的論述將受到華府歡迎，因為這顯示他將堅持總統蔡英文處理兩岸關係核心的原則。
[[CSIS資深研究員 Ivan Kanapathy]]
“副總統賴清德，過去七年他都遵循總統蔡英文，過去對兩岸路線的主張，我認為，為了安全和國際關係這點非常重要，因為台灣確實需要增加與世界及其他地區的協定，台灣需要增強威懾力，我想這就是建立經濟安全其中的一部分”
華府智庫CSIS資深研究員、也是前白宮國安會官員的簡以榮稱讚，賴清德是一位非常好的領導人，倒是侯友宜拋出兵役縮短四個月，他無法贊同。
[[CSIS資深研究員 Ivan Kanapathy]]
“以我的觀點來看，海峽兩岸服務貿易協定(服貿)，或減少徵兵、縮短兵役至四個月的想法，兩者都不是很受歡迎，也不會被多數美國人所接受。威懾是和平非常重要的一部分”
同樣是兩岸國安論述，賴侯獲得兩極評價，但侯友宜卻批評賴清德的4大支柱根基是建構在務實台獨上，台灣很快就倒塌，讓綠營聽不下去。
[[新北市長 侯友宜]]
“他選擇的還是蔡英文路線，那是瀕臨戰爭的風險路線。他的四大支柱，根基建構在務實台獨上，我相信這樣台灣很快就倒塌了。”
[[立委參選人(民) 李問]]
“副總統在投書裡面明確地提到，維持現狀是符合中華民國台灣與國際社會的最佳利益，國際社會能肯定蔡英文政府、民進黨政府的兩岸跟國際政策，也是因為高度的可預測性、高度穩健，而且一致性的外交與兩岸政策，我們希望侯友宜不要再繼續曲解跟惡意地抹煞”
賴清德延續的蔡英文路線獲得國際肯定，現實擺在眼前，侯友宜要反對，恐怕得先拿出能讓國內外信任的論述，才有本錢叫陣。
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