Both the DPP and the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party parties support Taiwan’s sovereignty but offer different views on the island’s relations with China.
The KMT argues that both Taipei and Beijing belong to one single China but each can interpret what that means under something called the “1992 consensus”, a tacit understanding reached between the then-KMT government and China in 1992.
On Thursday, the KMT’s presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih, told reporters that he wouldn’t touch the issue of reunification during his term of office if elected, while maintaining the status quo and encouraging exchanges with China.
The DPP rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying Taiwan’s future should be decided by its people.
The United States, in a clear signal to China, opposes any outside interference or influence in Taiwan’s upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, a senior Biden administration official said on Wednesday.
In a move that might stoke tensions with China, the United States said it plans to send an unofficial delegation to Taiwan following the election, according to a US senior official.