Lu pans China for restricting her trip

Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday lashed out at Beijing for its interference, which blocked her entrance to Jakarta, adding that China has no right to deprive her of her right to travel.

While pressure from Beijing prevented her surprise visit to the capital of Indonesia on Wednesday afternoon, Lu flew to Bali on the same day.

She pursued vacation activities at the famous resort island yesterday, saying she has kept President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) informed about her trip.

"President Chen gives me full support and also approves of our efforts to expand Taiwan's diplomatic space," Lu said. "Both of our moods have not been affected by China."

But during her public appearances yesterday in Bali, she repeatedly expressed anger with China to Taiwanese reporters who followed the vice president around the island.

"Taiwan is not a part of the PRC and it has no say about where I should go," Lu told reporters. "Traveling is my basic right. Mainland China can persecute mainland Chinese. It is not qualified and has no right to persecute others."

She urged the media to ask Beijing, "Why won't China let me go [to Jakarta]? What right does it have?"

Lu said she didn't feel mistreated by the Indonesian government and was still willing to learn about Bali's experience in developing tourism. But she also repeatedly attacked China.

Responding to Taiwanese media reports that said Lu had also planned to fly to Australia for medical treatment, Lu insisted that Bali was her primary and only destination.

Lu yesterday ate breakfast at her hotel, took a trip to the beach, did some shopping and met individuals who appeared to be Taiwanese businessmen.

A close aide to the vice president, Hsueh Yi-cheng (薛義誠), told the Taipei Times via telephone that Lu has kept close contact with the president during her vacation, and the members of Lu's group appreciate the president's encouragement.

While opposition politicians yesterday criticized Lu's failed attempt to secretly visit Jakarta, deputy secretary-general to the president, Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), who is accompanying Lu in Bali, told reporters that the developments of the vice president's trip so far have been within the government's "pre-evaluations," including emergency measures that were drawn up by the National Security Council (NSC) before Lu left.

"I wouldn't say that the vice president's trip has suffered a setback because we planned for all the situations that have occurred," Wu told the Taipei Times via a telephone interview yesterday.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Katharine Chang (張小月) yesterday denounced the Indonesian foreign ministry's statement, which called Taiwan "Chinese Taipei" and reiterated Jakarta's longstanding "one China" policy that recognizes Taiwan as a part of China.

"The Republic of China is a sovereign state. Our national designation is the ROC instead of `Chinese Taipei,' and we are not part of the People's Republic of China," Chang said at a press conference.