Vice President Lai Qingde.

(file photo)

[Reporter Yang Chengyu/Taipei Report] The New York political journal "The China Project" (The China Project) today (25th) published an English-language article written by Yan Jie, a researcher at the Trust Taiwan Vision Association.

The article cites the meeting between Chinese President Tsai Ing-wen and US House of Representatives Speaker McCarthy as an example, pointing out that "pragmatic" is Taiwan's core attitude towards cross-strait relations, and reiterated that Vice President Lai Qingde, who will soon be nominated by the Democratic Progressive Party as the 2024 presidential candidate, It will continue President Tsai's "four insistences" to maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait.

The article mentions that although polls show that most Taiwanese welcome Speaker McCarthy's visit, the Tsai Ing-wen administration's decision demonstrates its flexibility and leaves room for McCarthy's visit in the future.

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The article mentions that when Pelosi, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, visited Taiwan, the Chinese government responded with belligerent military drills, which caused an increase in tension in the Taiwan Strait. This will allow China to interpret the meeting as a "provocation" and avoid giving China an excuse to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and intensify cross-strait relations.

The article stated that since taking office in 2016, the Tsai Ing-wen government has emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

To achieve this goal, Tsai Ing-wen not only maintains a cautious attitude on cross-strait issues, but also strives to improve the relationship between Taiwan and democratic countries through common values ​​and shared interests.

In addition, Tsai Ing-wen also launched a series of reforms in the national army, including restoring the compulsory service period to one year, in order to enhance Taiwan's ability to resist the attack of the Chinese army.

The article mentioned that Lai Qingde once publicly stated that he would adhere to Tsai Ing-wen's cross-strait policy, including maintaining the cross-strait status quo, which has received broad support from the general public in Taiwan.

He will also continue Tsai Ing-wen's pragmatic approach to foreign policy and cross-strait relations.

As the vice president of Taiwan, Lai Ching-teh has expressed his support for many important policy decisions proposed by President Tsai, including the period of compulsory service; he has also served as the special envoy of President Tsai Ing-wen's international delegation many times.

The article pointed out that for Lai Qingde's analysis, more attention should be placed on emphasizing the key word "pragmatic".

In fact, Lai Ching-teh has adopted a moderate attitude over the years, emphasizing that he pragmatically believes that Taiwan is already independent, so there is no need for another declaration of independence.

This view of Taiwan's statehood is basically consistent with President Tsai's comments in a 2020 interview with the BBC.

This is also in line with the DPP's "Taiwan Future Resolution", which has been an important guide for the DPP to think about cross-strait relations since 1999. Lai Qingde's views also show that he is aware of Taiwan's responsibility for maintaining regional stability, especially in a high-stakes political environment.