Chiang Wan-an: The Republic of China has always been a sovereign and independent country

DPP's Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Po-yang stated yesterday that 'Taiwan independence means Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country, which is the status quo.' In response, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an said today that the Republic of China has always been a sovereign and independent country, and questioned whether the DPP should remove the Taiwan independence clause from its party platform. In a previously aired interview on Fox News, former US President Donald Trump stated that he does not want to see Taiwan move towards independence but prefers to maintain the status quo, adding that both China and Taiwan should de-escalate the situation. Trump also said that US policy towards Taiwan has not changed. On this issue, Shen Po-yang said in an interview yesterday that the key lies in the definition of 'Taiwan independence.' He reiterated multiple times that 'Taiwan independence means Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country, which is also the status quo.' He argued that those who want to change the status quo of Taiwan as a sovereign nation or open the doors for invasion are the ones 'changing the status quo.' Today, Chiang Wan-an attended the opening press conference for the 'CTBC 60th Anniversary' baseball exhibition. When asked by the media for his view on Shen Po-yang's statement about Taiwan's sovereignty, Chiang Wan-an said: 'We are all Taiwanese, who are citizens of the Republic of China. The Republic of China has always been a sovereign and independent country, so the question should be whether the DPP will remove its Taiwan independence clause.' Furthermore, when the media asked about Shen Po-yang's comment yesterday on China's infiltration of Taiwan, where he suggested that if the city government handed over traffic data to the other side, it would be a form of infiltration, Chiang Wan-an retorted, 'So which specific data was infiltrated? You can ask him.' The media further inquired about dozens of Taipei borough chiefs being questioned or investigated in the past for their exchanges with China, and that Shen Po-yang had mentioned borough chiefs are a key target for infiltration and should be informed and protected beforehand. Chiang Wan-an replied, 'So which investigated borough chief feels protected? You can ask them.' In addition, KMT's New Taipei City mayoral candidate Li Szu-chuan and Chiang Wan-an recently appeared on a media program where Li shouted the slogan 'joint governance of Taipei and New Taipei,' leading to him being mocked as Chiang Wan-an's 'underling.' Chiang said that Taipei and New Taipei are one entity, and joint governance is a necessity. He will continue to work hard with Li Szu-chuan for the citizens.