“Some people say that is an act of provocation,” he said.
Second, Zhang picked the former president’s hometown and wandered about by himself, Chen said.
“That was the second provocation,” he said.
Third, while President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said there would not be war in the Taiwan Strait in the next four years, Zhang responded by saying: “There will never be war if there is no Taiwan independence.”
“Does he mean Taiwan must surrender? Or Taiwan must become a part of China or a region of the People’s Republic of China?” Chen said. “That’s what people say: you get what you ask for. There are too many provocations that are unacceptable.”
Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) told reporters at the Executive Yuan that the government’s plan to arrange the meeting between Chen Yunlin and Chiang at the end of this month remained unchanged despite Tuesday’s melee.
Describing the incident as “unexpected,” Liu urged the public to condemn the use of violence.
Liu dismissed the idea of holding the meeting in a third country to minimize tensions: “We are a democracy. We respect the expression of different voices ... There is no need to dodge [any potential protests]. The only thing we have to do is to do our best to ensure Chen Yunlin’s safety.”
When asked if the government would also condemn China for aiming missiles at Taiwan, Liu said the government had repeatedly urged China to remove the missiles and not to hurt the feelings of Taiwanese people.
KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾) told a press conference that Zhang’s decision to return home early was regretful.
“The DPP has sacrificed the image and interests of our nation for its political gains,” she said.
KMT Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) also lashed out at Wang Ding-yu, saying “he obviously had political motives” when he confronted Zhang.
Lee urged the public to show empathy toward Zhang.
“If [SEF Secretary-General] Kao Koong-lian (高孔廉) were treated this way in China, we would have made the same requests [that those responsible be punished],” Lee said.
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said he expected Taiwanese to treat any visitors politely because this was democractic.
“Both sides of the Strait should respect and treat each other with courtesy to facilitate cross-strait peace and prosperity,” he said.
KMT Spokesman Lee Chien-jung (李建榮) said some party members had complained about the lack of promotion for the upcoming “historical Chiang-Chen meeting.”
He said the KMT and the Presidential Office had reached a consensus on stepping up efforts to promote Chen Yunlin’s visit and to explore the positive impact of the upcoming meeting and recent cross-strait exchanges.
In related news, a survey by Global Views magazine showed that 50.3 percent of respondents supported Chen Yunlin’s upcoming visit while 31.2 percent opposed it.
The survey, which polled 1,005 people, was conducted between Oct. 14 and Oct. 16 via telephone.
Asked about the talks, 64.3 percent of respondents said a deal on a cross-strait reporting system on food safety issues would benefit Taiwan.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MO YAN-CHIH AND CNA
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