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Wu shrugs off criticism over ‘island’ remarks

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) yesterday shrugged off criticism of his use of the term daonei (島內, “on the island”) to refer to Taiwan during a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) on Tuesday, and called on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) not to over-interpret the issue.

Wu used the term in his meeting with Hu in Beijing. During the meeting, Hu emphasized that Taiwan and China belonged to “one China,” and said they had agreed to promote peace and oppose Taiwanese independence.

In response to DPP criticism that Wu was belittling Taiwan’s sovereignty, Wu said his meeting with Hu had proceeded on a reciprocal basis and that he also used the phrase “on the mainland” when referring to China during the meeting.

“We never belittle ourselves ... the KMT pays extra attention to make sure cross-strait exchanges proceed on an equal footing,” Wu said yesterday in Beijing, urging the public not to interpret his words negatively.

KMT Spokesman Lee Chien-rong (李建榮) later urged the DPP not to shift the focus of the Wu-Hu meeting by politicizing Wu’s remarks.

Lee said recent polls showed popular support for Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu’s (陳菊) visit to China.

Many DPP politicians have also visited China over the years, Lee said, adding that the DPP should make public its frequent communications with China.

DPP legislators yesterday asked Wu to apologize for his use of the expression daonei.

“If Taiwan is daonei, [President] Ma Ying-jeou [馬英九] is just an island chief, not a head of state. It is unbelievable that the KMT chairman belittled the country to such a degree. The KMT is like a vassal that belittles itself when dealing with the Chinese Communist Party [CCP],” DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬) said.

Gao said people were worried that KMT officials do not have Taiwan’s interests in mind when they engage China.

DPP Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) said Wu had avoided referring to Ma as president, in contrast with Chen’s statements last week, and his remarks implied that Taiwan was part of China.

In response, a number of KMT legislators defended Wu’s use of the term daonei.

Urging the DPP not to humiliate the KMT chairman, KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) said it was just a general term and did not undermine the nation’s sovereignty.

KMT Legislator Lee Ching-hua (李慶華) said he “almost fainted” when he heard Wu use the term, but added that it must have been a slip of the tongue.

KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Lu Hsueh-chang (呂學樟) said the party chairman was a hero in cross-strait relations and has long been dedicated to promoting cross-strait peace.

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) also downplayed Wu Poh-hsiung’s turn of phrase, calling it “a term of tacit understanding” between the KMT and the CCP.

“In a bid to enhance interactions between the KMT and the CCP, they have their own language,” Wang said, without elaborating.

However, Chen said Wu Poh-hsiung’s use of language highlighted the differences between the DPP and the KMT.

KMT caucus ­secretary-­general Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔) said Hu’s references to “Chinese Taipei” during his meeting with Wu Poh-­hsiung were a goodwill gesture.

Yang said this could be seen as recognition by Hu of Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Wu Poh-hsiung is on an eight-day visit to China that coincides with the 80th anniversary of the relocation of Sun Yat-sen’s (孫逸仙) remains to a mausoleum in Nanjing. He and the KMT delegation left for Chongqing yesterday after meeting Hu in Beijing.

Wu Poh-hsiung is scheduled to visit China again in July to attend an annual forum between the KMT and CCP.

KMT Vice Secretary-General Chang Jung-kung (張榮恭) yesterday defended the importance of the KMT-CCP forum on cross-strait relations in response to critics’ complaints that the forum had been made redundant by the Straits Exchange Foundation’s resumption of talks with China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait.

Chang said cross-strait relations, like any bilateral relations, developed through various communication channels. The KMT-CCP forum was a form of “party diplomacy” and would continue serving as a major communication channel for the government.

The KMT-CCP forum was initiated after former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) visited China in 2005.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY RICH CHANG

Also See: EDITORIAL: Chen Chu leads, Wu kowtows
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