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Soong criticizes Chen's remarks, wants apology

People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) yesterday rebutted reported remarks by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) that China had been providing secret help to both the PFP and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) in their bid to remove the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) from power.

"Chen's statement had not only smeared the KMT and PFP but had also belittled the people of Taiwan," said Soong, referring to statements made by Chen in an interview with the Washington Post.

The interview was conducted on Oct 6 at the Presidential office.

According to the transcript of the interview published on Friday (Oct. 10), Chen said that "China has taken heart at the cooperation between the KMT and the PFP in obstructing the DPP government's policies."

"China believes that Mr. Lien Chan and Mr. James Soong, by cooperating, can win the presidential election in 2004, that it has only to wait for the results of the presidential election on March 20 next year, to make contact with the current government of Taiwan unnecessary.

"Over the past two to three years, the Chinese communists, the KMT and the PFP have devoted considerable thought to overthrowing the DPP government and dragging down President Chen Shui-bian. Even now they haven't yet given up," the newspaper quoted Chen as saying.

While no immediate comment was available from KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰), who jetted off Saturday for a two-week visit to Britain, the Czech Republic and the US; Soong, Lien's running mate in the upcoming presidential election, said Chen's remarks had seriously defamed the reputation of both the KMT and PFP.

"Chen should come forth and publicly explain to the KMT and the PFP whether he had indeed said all that," said Soong yesterday, prior to boarding a flight to Vietnam for a four-day visit. During the trip he is slated to meet with Vietnamese and Taiwanese business leaders before returning to Taipei on Oct. 15.

As of press time, no comments had been issued from the Presidential Office

However, this isn't the first time that the pro-unification opposition KMT and PFP have been accused of colluding with China.

Two years ago, for example, Bonnie Glaser, a US academic, caused a KMT tantrum when she wrote in an academic paper that "scores of KMT delegations visiting China in the past year have urged Beijing to avoid opening a dialogue with Chen that might strengthen [Chen's] position and increase his chances of re-election, Chinese analysts say.

"Instead, the KMT urges Chinese leaders to await the return of their party to power, promising that the KMT will pursue a cross-strait policy that is more amenable to Beijing."

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