People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (
"Soong's visit to China and the issue of a `special envoy' are two different matters," said Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General James Huang (
NO ARGUEMENT
"However, if Soong mentions the 10-point agreement to the other side of the Strait, and says that [the consensus] represents President Chen's stance, I think no one will argue against it, since the 10-point consensus was signed by President Chen and PFP Chairman Soong," Huang said.
"As the 10-point consensus was signed by the two [Chen and Soong], it represents their stance. There is therefore no question as to who represents what," Huang said.
In view of Soong's planned visit to China -- in addition to the trip to be made by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
The "United Front" refers to tactics and efforts employed by Beijing aimed at extending its influence in Taiwan to aid unification.
CONSISTENCY
Saying that the government has been consistent with regard to its stance on opposition parties' visits to China, Huang noted that the Presidential Office has encountered a lot of difficulty when trying to communicate with Lien about the China trip.
In comparison, the Presidential Office has maintained smooth contact with the PFP since Chen and Soong's establishment of the 10-point agreement this February, said Huang, adding that the PFP had informed the Presidential Office soon after it received the invitation from Beijing for Soong to visit China.
When asked for the possibility of holding a second meeting between the president and Soong, the Presidential Office deputy secretary-general said that while no substantial moves in such a regard have been undertaken, the Presidential Office has, however, been open about the idea of holding a second Chen-Soong meeting.
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