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WORLD NEWS Friday 15 November 2019
Taiwan opposition candidate backs Hong Kong full democracy

By TAIJING WU foundation” for interac-
Associated Press tion between the sides. He
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The urged Tsai to also adopt
China-friendly opposition the agreement out of pure-
candidate in Taiwan’s up- ly practical considerations.
coming presidential elec- Speaking at a gathering
tion is urging Hong Kong to with foreign reporters in Tai-
adopt universal suffrage as wan’s capital, Taipei, Han,
the best way of stemming 62, did not directly answer
months of anti-government when asked whether his
protests. concept of “one China”
Han Kuo-yu of the National- was the same as that of
ist Party told reporters Thurs- Chinese President and
day that Taiwan stood as leader of the ruling Com-
an example of how it was munist Party Xi Jinping, who
possible to transition to full says Taiwan must inevitably
democracy without major come under Beijing’s con-
changes to national iden- trol, by force if necessary.
tity. A former legislator, Han
The “political crux” of the was elected mayor of
situation in Hong Kong is Kaohsiung in December
that “the people question 2018. Shortly after that, he
the legitimacy of their lead- traveled to China to sign
ers. Han Kuo-yu of the Nationalist Party speaks during a media event announcing his campaign logo deals to sell 5.2 billion New
They think that they’re not in Taipei, Taiwan, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019. Taiwan dollars ($165 million)
sufficiently representative,” Associated Press worth of Taiwanese agricul-
Han said. tural products.
That could be easily fixed greatly different from those Taiwan is part of China. Bei- dorsed a 1992 agreement He also met with leading
by allowing direct elec- of his opponent in the Jan. jing regularly lashes out at with Beijing that says Tai- officials for relations with
tions for chief executive 11 election, incumbent her government’s calls for wan is part of China, while Taiwan, including the head
and members of the local President Tsai Ing-wen, reform in Hong Kong and maintaining its own in- of the Cabinet’s Taiwan Af-
legislature, he said, despite whom Beijing has sought dialogue with political op- terpretation of what that fairs Office, Liu Jieyi, and
Beijing’s firm objections. to isolate politically over ponents. means. ranking Communist Party
Han’s remarks are not her refusal to agree that Han, in contrast, has en- That, he said, is the “best officials in Hong Kong.q

NKorea say US offered to resume nuclear talks in December

By KIM TONG-HYUNG lapsed after the U.S. side
Associated Press rejected North Korean de-
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — mands for broad sanctions
North Korea on Thursday relief in exchange for a par-
said the United States has tial surrender of its nuclear
proposed a resumption of capabilities.
stalled nuclear negotia- The working-level talks last
tions in December as they month in Sweden broke
approach an end-of-year down over what the North
deadline set by North Kore- Koreans described as the
an leader Kim Jong Un for Americans’ “old stance
the Trump administration to and attitude.”
offer an acceptable deal Kim Myong Gil, who was
to salvage the talks. North Korea’s lead nego-
In a statement released by tiator at the Stockholm
state media, North Korean talks, said Stephen Biegun,
negotiator Kim Myong Gil Trump’s special envoy for
didn’t clearly say whether North Korea, proposed via
the North would accept an unspecified third coun-
the supposed U.S. offer. try to hold another round of
He said North Korea has no In this June 30, 2019, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, left, meets with North Korean leader talks in December.
interest in talks if they are Kim Jong Un at the border village of Panmunjom in Demilitarized Zone, South Korea. “I cannot understand why
aimed at buying time with- Associated Press he spreads the so-called
out discussing solutions. He idea of DPRK-U.S. relations
said the North isn’t willing to tries. North Korea. gotiations,” he said, using through the third party, not
make a deal over “matters “If the negotiated solu- “If the U.S. still seeks a sinis- the abbreviation of North thinking of candidly mak-
of secondary importance,” tion of issues is possible, we ter aim of appeasing us in a Korea’s official name, the ing direct contact with me,
such as possible U.S. of- are ready to meet with the bid to pass the time limit — Democratic People’s Re- his dialogue partner, if he
fers to formally declare an U.S. at any place and any the end of this year — with public of Korea. has any suggestions or any
end to the 1950-53 Korean time,” said Kim Myong Gil, ease as it did during the Nuclear negotiations have idea over the DPRK-U.S.
War, which was halted by who called for Washington DPRK-U.S. working-level ne- faltered since a February dialogue,” Kim Myong Gil
a cease-fire, not a peace to present a fundamen- gotiations in Sweden early summit between Kim Jong said of Biegun. “His behav-
treaty, or establish a liaison tal solution for discarding in October, we have no Un and President Don- ior only amplifies doubts
office between the coun- its “hostile policy” toward willingness to have such ne- ald Trump in Vietnam col- about the U.S.”q