Taiwan election: KMT’s Hou Yu-ih pledges strong military and talks to keep Beijing at bay
- On the campaign trail, Hou pushes for deterrence and dialogue to ease tensions across the Taiwan Strait
- ‘Taiwan’s most important priority should be to strengthen its national defence,’ he says
“A strong military will help deter aggression and keep at bay any prospect of war in the Taiwan Strait,” Hou wrote in an article published in Foreign Affairs on Monday.
“But peace also requires dialogue, and I will seek to interact constructively with Beijing in ways consistent with the Republic of China’s constitution and its laws,” he said, referring to the island’s formal name for itself.
“That interaction will lead to de-escalation.”
He also reaffirmed Taiwan’s role as a responsible stakeholder in the region, while vowing to avert war with mainland China through offensive and defensive means and negotiations.
“Taiwan’s most important priority should be to strengthen its national defence and deter the use of force by mainland China,” Hou wrote.