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2012 ELECTIONS: TSU
criticizes Evergreen founder
CONSENSUS KERFUFFLE: The TSU chairman questioned
why Chang Yung-fa was so sure about the authenticity of the so-called ‘1992
consensus,’ asking if he was there
By Chris Wang / Staff Reporter
Taiwan Solidarity Union Chairman
Huang Kun-huei criticizes Evergreen Group founder Chang Yung-fa during a press
conference in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU)
yesterday criticized Evergreen Group founder Chang Yung-fa (張榮發) for his
endorsement of the so-called “1992 consensus,” saying that he spoke as Beijing’s
mouthpiece despite his conscience.
Chang spoke about something he does not know about, while not saying something
that he does know, TSU Chairman Huang Kun-huei (黃昆輝), who served as Mainland
Affairs Council chairman from 1991 to 1994 under then-president Lee Teng-hui
(李登輝), told a press conference yesterday.
The tycoon said on Tuesday that he “simply cannot agree with the denial of the
[1992] consensus by a ‘specific’ presidential candidate.”
Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential
candidate, has denied the existence of such a consensus, while President Ma
Ying-jeou (馬英九) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), who is seeking
re-election, insists that the consensus exists and that it serves as the
foundation of cross-strait exchanges.
Huang, who has also denied the existence of the consensus, questioned why Chang
was so sure about the authenticity of the consensus, asking: “Were you there?
Were you informed by the negotiators that the consensus was reached?”
Chang, who also owns EVA Air, would know if Taiwan had successful
air-transportation negotiations with China, Huang said, adding that the Ma
administration was in such a rush to reach a deal with Beijing that it failed to
defend the interests of the nation’s airline operators.
The results were disastrous, Huang said, as the direct flights across the Taiwan
Strait were defined as “domestic routes” — a belittlement of Taiwan’s
sovereignty — and Taiwan’s airlines did not secure “beyond rights,” the fifth
freedom of air travel, from their Chinese counterparts.
A group of business leaders have in recent weeks publicly endorsed the so-called
“1992 consensus” and have appeared to offer their support for Ma, including Hon
Hai Precision Industry chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘), Ruentex Financial Group
chairman Samuel Yin (尹衍樑), Yulon Group chairman Kenneth Yen (嚴凱泰), Formosa
Plastics Corp president Wang Wen-yuan (王文淵) and Delta Electronics chairman Bruce
Cheng (鄭崇華).
Two more business leaders joined them yesterday, with General Chamber of
Commerce of the ROC chairman Lawrence Chang (張平沼) and Far Eastern Group chairman
Douglas Hsu (徐旭東) both saying that they would support the candidate who “takes
no risks with peace and stability across the [Taiwan] Strait.”
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