All KMT hopefuls attend second TV forum

SKEWED CULTURAL POLICIES? KMT presidential hopeful Terry Gou, wearing a cap emblazoned with the ROC flag, said the ‘Republic of China is our country’

By Shih Hsiao-kuang and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer





All five Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential primary candidates yesterday attended a second televised policy presentation as part of the party’s presidential primary, answering questions on education, culture and challenges facing the nation’s young people.

The candidates are Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘), Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), former Taipei County commissioner Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋) and Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung (張亞中).

The questions for the broadcast were publicized in advance.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Den-yih, third left, and the party’s presidential hopefuls pose for a picture ahead of the second policy presentation, which was held at the Howard Prince Hotel Taichung yesterday. Photo provided by the Chinese Nationalist Party

The question on social issues asked: “Since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office, the Tsai administration has made amendments to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法), with the resulting confrontation between employees and employers causing social unrest. If you are elected president, how would you maintain peace between workers and employers while safeguarding workers’ rights?”

The question on culture asked: “Taiwan’s multi-cultural society is achieved by accepting other cultures while embracing the Zhonghua (中華) culture as our root and foundation. Since Tsai has taken office, her administration has tried to tear up that root under the guise of promoting transitional justice. If you are elected as the president of the Republic of China [ROC], how would you correct the skewed cultural policies?”

The question on education asked: “Since taking office, president Tsai has allowed political ideology to supersede education, causing a cascade of failures: the foundering of educational policy; impetuous changes in national curricula; leaving school entrance examinations and enrollment in disarray; undermining the autonomy of universities and complete loss of dignity as an educator. If you are elected as the president of the Republic of China, what solutions would you propose to resolve the problems facing our educational system?”

The question on young people asked: “Skill discrepancies between education and actual jobs, low wages, high real-estate prices and marriage and reproduction are issues that plague Taiwanese youths. There is also general anxiety among the age group due to a lack of future prospects. If you are elected as the president of the Republic of China, how would you resolve the plights that plague our young?”

Gou, wearing a cap emblazoned with the ROC flag, said the “Republic of China is our country” in his opening statement.

He said the way to solve the problems facing the labor insurance funds is to devote more resources to them and enlarge the market, adding that he would create a “national reserve” that would be handled by a capable international team.

Respect for local culture does not necessitate the destruction of the Zhonghua culture, he said, adding that he would adopt a cultural policy that respects plurality.

Chu said Taiwan’s strength comes from not only holding the essence of the Zhonghua culture, but also from its willingness to accept other cultures from the West and Southeast Asia as well as Aboriginal cultures.

Chu said he has practical experience in forming labor policy, adding that the main reason for wages having remained stagnant over the past two decades is having a wrong focus in education and the passing over of vocational education.

Han said his plan to implement Chinese and English-language education would allow the youth to retain their Zhonghua cultural heritage while being proficient in English.

Han also pledged to conduct a drug sweep in Kaohsiung.

Chang said the roots of the ROC have rotted and blamed the “erroneous” content in high school history textbooks that have caused at least half of the youth to consider themselves “Taiwanese” instead of “Chinese.”

Citing the line “My life is like shit” from the song Back Here Again (浪子回頭) by rock band EggPlantEgg, Chou said the line adequately reflects the conundrum in which Taiwanese youth find themselves.

If elected, he would implement a policy to cover the costs of childcare and also the costs of caring for elderly family members.

The last of the forums is to be held on Wednesday in Taipei, focusing on issues including the economy, finance, environment and energy.

The KMT is to determine its presidential candidate based on the results of five landline-based public opinion polls, which are to be conducted by five polling firms from July 8 to14.

Additional reporting by Peng Wan-hsin, Huang Hsin-po And CNA