TAIWAN could be China's best friend if Beijing recognised the aspirations of the island's people to determine their own fate, according to Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Peng Ming-min.
The 72-year-old Taiwan-born politician, who returned to the island in November 1992 after 22 years of exile, earned the nomination by defeating former party chairman Hsu Hsin-liang in the two-stage primary election process.
Mr Peng, an authority on international law, has long been seen as the intellectual godfather of Taiwanese grassroots opposition to the Kuomintang.
'I'm a witness to all of Taiwan's modern history. I lived one-third of my life under the Japanese, one-third under the Kuomintang and one-third in political exile and study abroad,' the candidate said.
'I've continually studied politics and international law to consider what road Taiwan should take and its role in the world.
'I understand the real feelings of the Taiwan people and their hopes and desires. What we want is a prosperous, open, just and democratic society,' he continued.
'After 50 years of ruling Taiwan, the Kuomintang, despite recent reforms, cannot achieve this goal as it's burdened by money and gang politics.' Mr Peng said his most formulative experience was his role as lead author of the Proclamation for the Self-Salvation of the Taiwanese People in 1964 when he was a professor at the National Taiwan University.
