Mr. Chang, Jung-kung, former deputy Secretary General of the KMT

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Lin said DPP Presidential candidate, Tsai Yin-wen, hardly talked about her cross-strait policy nor the national identity issue, in order to please the voters with different attitudes, Tsai cautiously used a very safe term “the Taiwan consensus” to clarify her stand. Lin believed Tsai’s avoidance on such topic was to seek the trust from the United States.

In 2015, Tsai Yin-wen eventually gained the trust from the United States, her attitude toward the cross-strait policy remained moderate. Lin explained in Taiwan, the economic nationalism was generated by the cross-strait economic interactions, and the sense of crisis accumulated by this interaction burst during the Sun Flower Movement in 2014.

The main participants of the protest, the Tian Ran Du (Naturally pro-independence) group, was a gift for the DPP. For Lin, Chou Tzu-yu incident brought no major impact on DPP’s victory since DPP was winning anyway. Lin believed Chou’s incident was more influential regarding the Legislative election, because the sovereignty crisis triggered by Chou’s incident consolidated the leadership which encouraged voters to vote for the DPP, and made New Power Party lose considerable votes.

In answering if the young generation’s Taiwan identity would pose fundamental influence in next Presidential election in 2020, Lin said that the national identity issue would still be a critical factor, but not the only one. Lin further suggested the DPP to give up its

“Middle Way” mindset and run the campaign based on the principle of pursuing Taiwan independence with a steady speed. The point is not to go against the public opinion nor being constrained by it. Lin said the DPP should promote different level of Taiwan independence in accordance with the reality of conditions at that moment, DPP needs to step on the gas and know when to hit on the breaks. Lin expected the leader would lead the country the way a CEO would lead the company, not a staff that aiming at solving problems.

4.2 Mr. Chang, Jung-kung, former deputy Secretary General of the KMT

Mr. Chang was a senior KMT member, he served as the former deputy Secretary General and the Director of the Chinese Affairs Department of the KMT, however, he was more

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well-known for his position as the aide to former Vice President, Lien Chan, and his contribution in facilitating the Lien-Hu meeting in 2005.

As an experienced brain of the party, Chang explained that the term “Chinese” before the 1990’s meant the residents in the Republic of China (ROC), hence, most of the residents in Lee Teng-hui era identified themselves as Chinese or both Chinese and Taiwanese.

Lee’s cross-strait policy thus still targeting “China unification” and he also published

“National Unification Guidelines”, however, Lee started to work on the desinicization in his last tenure, and the national identity began the process of reconstruction, two decades later, the term “Chinese” now refers to the citizens of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Chang said the KMT’s priority regarding its cross-strait policy has always been seeking peaceful resolutions, and the KMT would not change its “no independence” mindset even more and more citizens identify themselves as Taiwanese and view Taiwan as an independent country, KMT would only change its cross-strait policy when Beijing changes its attitude towards Taiwan one day.

As an opposition party during 2000 to 2004, the KMT had to alter its strategies to counter DPP’s attack on national identity issue. Therefore, in the campaign for 2000 Presidential election, KMT focused more on its ability to achieve the economic cooperation and peaceful interaction with the PRC. Moreover, Lien Chan mentioned “Chinese help Chinese” in his ten point proposal (連十條) to echo the appeal of “Chinese do not fight with Chinese” principle raised by Jiang Ze-ming in 1995.

2000’s failure forced the KMT to reconsider its attitude while dealing with the changing national identity, therefore, during the campaign of 2004 Presidential election, the candidates started to express their love for Taiwan through various ways, for example, Lien Chan and Soong Chu-uu used Taiwanese language in the TV commercials, and they even adopted a dramatic act, kissing the ground.

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The localization pushed by Lee Teng-hui administration and Chen Shui-bian administration, the term “Chinese” was gradually regarded as the residents in the People’s Republic of China by 2007, plus the Taiwan identity was unchallenged at that time, hence, the KMT candidate, Ma Ying-jeou, drifted with the mainstream, he did not call himself a Chinese, nor did he publish the White Paper on Cross-strait Policy even he had prepared one. In order to maximize the vote, Ma adopted the 92 Consensus as its foundation of the cross-strait policies and promised to maintain the status-quo.

Chang mentioned President Ma did not like to address on unification/independence issue, therefore, in Ma’s second inauguration speech, he showed his stance with a vague expression by saying “People from both straits belong to the Chinese nation”.

Chang analyzed that the Taiwan identity rate was pretty high by 2012, yet KMT’s two victories showed that Taiwan identity was not the most critical factor for Presidential elections anymore, voters cared more about their living, and that was why they chose the party who had better capability in improving the economy.

The situation was very bad for the KMT after it lost the Municipal election in 2014 and the anti-China sentiment make the KMT unwelcome, especially among the young generation. Chang said the KMT lost its direction in 2016 and it is still looking for it.

Chang believed it would be too early to tell if Taiwan identity would have a huge impact on the Presidential election in 2020, actually its impact would depend on DPP’s attitude in coping with Beijing, and Beijing’s reaction for it.

Chang further suggested the KMT to provide the option that would be in the best interest of the country and let the people understand that pursuing de facto independence would not be the best choice. Chang said pursuing independence could be an option for Taiwan, but KMT should never consider it.

For Chang, Taiwan identity and China identity should not stand on the opposite side, so the KMT’s task is to decrease the hostility between the two identities.

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In order to win the next Presidential election, the KMT would need to promote more on its advantage in communicating with the PRC, and lead the people moving toward to the direction for unification, not follow the mainstream, because Taiwan identity does not guarantee the safety for Taiwan.

4.3 Ms. Ho Meng-hua, deputy Director of the Youth Affairs Division of the DPP