Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Su Tseng-chang (
"I don't think it is an appropriate time for me to go to China at this moment since I don't think Beijing has the sincerity to resolve the problems caused by its `Anti-Secession' Law," Su said.
"If they [China officials] really want to invite me to China, they have to respect my status as DPP chairman. I would not accept China inviting me under the name `lawyer Su,'" he said.
PHOTO: SUNG CHIH-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
In response to the "China fever" that has recently swept the nation's opposition parties, Su said that although the government will not resume its "no haste, be patient" policy implemented by former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), he would urge the pan-blue leaders not to sacrifice the nation's interests for their own political gains.
Meanwhile, about 20 members of Su's college rugby team visited him at the DPP's headquarters yesterday afternoon and received an enthusiastic welcome from the DPP chief.
Su joined in the rugby team when he attended National Taiwan University's Law School.
Su has been known for his rugby image and when he took up the DPP's chairmanship in February, the party arranged a ceremony in which President Chen Shui-bian (
During conversations with his former teammates, Su said that his rugby training had strongly affected his attitude toward his political career.
"Rugby places an emphasis on marching forward courageously in the game and never giving up, rain or shine," Su said.
"It places a high value on cooperation," he said.
"Whenever we receive the ball, we don't pass it forward but we pass it backward to our team members. The game highlights the idea that success does not rely on a specific player," he said. "I've kept this idea in my mind during my political career."
The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it has launched a probe into a restaurant at Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store after a customer died of suspected food poisoning. A preliminary investigation on Sunday found missing employee health status reports and unsanitary kitchen utensils at Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in the department store’s basement food court, the department said. No direct relationship between the food poisoning death and the restaurant was established, as no food from the day of the incident was available for testing and no other customers had reported health complaints, it said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Later
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