By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Taiwan should leverage its advantage and go on the offensive by adopting a “bold one China principle (大膽一中)” rather than staying on the defensive against a more powerful China, former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson Hsu Hsin-liang (許信良) said yesterday.
“If the ‘one China’ principle was an inevitable development, we should seek the best ‘one China’ framework for Taiwan, such as the establishment of a China Council which is based on the European Council,” Hsu, 72, said at the book launch of his new book, titled What should Taiwan do?
Hsu said he has always favored the EU model as a potential solution for the cross-strait question, saying that the EU could be seen as a new country and it does not interfere in or oppose the sovereignty of Germany or France.
Hsu said he made the recommendation because Taiwan, which enjoys the advantage of being a democracy, would send elected representatives to the council and Beijing would be embarrassed if its representatives are designated by the government.
He also called for further opening to Chinese investment to revitalize Taiwan’s sluggish economy.
The former chairman has been known for initiating creative political ideas throughout his career, such as a “boldly going west (大膽西進)” initiative in 1995, which encouraged Taiwan’s business investment in China.
In his new book, Hsu calls for the establishment of a grand coalition government, saying that a grand coalition is a must-have for the nation because “no political party in Taiwan will be able to carry out reform and move the country forward alone.”
Hsu also touches upon a number of domestic issues, such as the dispute surrounding nuclear energy, pension reform and the establishment of six free economic pilot zones.
He also criticized the Ma administration for its incompetence.