TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Kuomintang (KMT), Taiwan's main opposition party, said Wednesday (Feb. 17) that it firmly opposes making legal changes to the country's official name, national emblem, or symbols that represent its current identity.

In January, the Legislative Yuan passed a resolution to change Taiwan's national emblem, which is based on the party emblem of the KMT. The resolution requests that the Ministry of the Interior evaluate the necessity of the change and submit a report on the topic within a two-month period.

During a public hearing at the Legislative Yuan this month, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers also proposed changing the Constitution to remove references to unification with China. They described the current Constitution as "out-of-date," as it was written to reflect a Greater China mentality.

The DPP members said they would seek to amend the Constitution committing the state to prioritize the use of the name "Taiwan" instead of the "Republic of China" when participating in international affairs. They stressed that the change is necessary to meet the current reality.

Speaking at a Lunar New Year event on Wednesday, KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) emphasized that the party will not support any proposals to change what it views as Taiwan's identity. However, he agreed that the Constitution could be updated to enhance the government's operational efficiency.

Chiang pointed out that the DDP has yet to offer an alternative to the so-called 1992 Consensus despite its refusal to acknowledge it. He added that the ruling party should aim to promote cross-strait peace rather than conflict, reported CNA.

DPP legislative caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) told reporters Tuesday (Feb. 16) that the Legislative Yuan will begin evaluating amendments pertaining to the Constitution in the upcoming legislative session. Besides lowering the legal voting age to 18, the abolition of the Examination Yuan and other topics will also be discussed, he said.

As far as sensitive topics such as changing the country's name are concerned, Ker said the DPP will not push for "radical changes" in the Constitution. He said all proposals are negotiable and that they should be thoroughly discussed by different parties, reported UDN.