KMT Central Committee Member Proposes 'Peaceful Reunification' with China! Party Think Tank: Reunification Aligns with Party Charter

The Kuomintang (KMT) convened its Central Committee today (27th). Former ROC Controller General and Central Committee member Wei Po-tao delivered a bombshell proposal during the meeting, publicly urging the KMT to initiate discussions on 'peaceful reunification' across the Taiwan Strait and to swiftly formulate clear negotiation conditions and bottom lines in preparation for future cross-strait talks. He stated that the party has long avoided discussing unification out of fear of losing votes, but given global geopolitical shifts, Taiwan cannot indefinitely maintain the status quo and must prepare in advance for future negotiations.

Wei Po-tao, who served as Controller General under President Lee Teng-hui and later as Chairman of Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation, ran for KMT chairmanship in 2020, positioning himself alongside candidates such as Han Kuo-yu, Chiang Chi-chen, Eric Chu, and Ma Ying-jeou. At the time, Ma Ying-jeou, when asked by the media, responded with curiosity: 'Who is that?' Now, re-emerging in the Central Committee, Wei argues that just as Taiwan has voices advocating independence, there should also be voices advocating unification.

Wei highlighted the shifting balance of power across the strait, noting China's increasing pressure on Taiwan and the growing disparity in strength favoring China. He pointed out that the 'One China Principle' has become the international mainstream. He believes that in the future, voices advocating peaceful reunification and protecting Taiwan's interests through negotiation will grow stronger. Taiwan, he argued, should seize the current window of advantage to proactively consider how to preserve its current way of life and economic interests within a peaceful reunification framework, thereby maximizing its leverage at the negotiation table.

In response to Wei's proposal, the KMT's official think tank, the National Policy Research Foundation, issued a statement. The think tank affirmed that the idea of peaceful reunification is consistent with the party charter and pledged to actively clarify the differences between the KMT's '1992 Consensus' and the mainland's position. The foundation emphasized that the KMT's cross-strait policy is 'neither self-diminishing nor surrendering,' but all efforts must be based on safeguarding the constitutional system of the Republic of China and the will of the people of Taiwan.