Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/05/31
By: Chen Chun-hua and Ko Lin
Taipei, May 31 (CNA) Any potential political accord with China will need not only the
CNA file image for illustrative purpose only
approval of lawmakers, but also of the people via a national referendum, according to an amendment passed Friday by the legislative Yuan.
The bill, which adds a clause to the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, requires that a national referendum be held before any cross-Taiwan Strait political agreement, including a peace treaty, can be signed and put into effect.
The purpose of the bill is to allow the public to participate in and monitor agreements between Taiwan and China, especially after opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said Feb. 14 that his party could sign a peace treaty with Beijing in accordance with the law if the KMT regains the presidency in 2020.
According to Cabinet spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka in late March, the push to get the amendment passed also came after a Jan. 2 speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) proposing the “one country, two systems” model for unification with Taiwan and calling for negotiations with representatives of various sectors in Taiwan on the issue.
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