In a homecoming that has been over 60 years in the making, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) yesterday made an emotional return to his hometown of Xian, Yunnan Province, as part of his historic trip to China.
Students at Lien's former elementary school chanted "Welcome back Grandpa!" yesterday as the KMT chairman returned to the school he left more than 60 years ago.
Yesterday marked the fifth day of Lien's trip to China. After publicly ending years of enmity between the KMT and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) and issuing a five-point communique on cross-strait relations Friday, Lien left Beijing yesterday morning to spend two days in that city where he was born.
At the school, Lien was lavishly received with colorful student dancing and vocal performances as thousands of Xian residents congregated outside the school for a glimpse of the KMT chairman.
While recounting his family history to the students of the elementary school, Lien said that both China and Taiwan should work together to create a bright future.
Lien's grandfather moved Lien and his family from the Japanese-occupied Taiwan to China in the 1930s in order to reconnect his family with their Chinese roots. Lien said that as a child growing up in a patriotic family, he developed a strong sense of nationalism.
Even his name, Lien said, is an indication of his family's nationalistic tendencies. When his grandfather realized that Lien's mother was pregnant, he insisted that should the child be a boy, he be named "Chan" -- meaning "war" in Chinese -- to show his determination to fight against Japanese invaders.
Meanwhile, KMT spokesman Chang Jung-kung (張榮恭) yesterday took up the responsibility of responding to the backlash against the five-point communique hammered out between Lien and Hu on Friday.
While the KMT delegation arrived in Xian yesterday morning, Chang held a press conference to respond to remarks by Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday morning criticizing the Hu-Lien communique.
Lien brought up the Republic of China several times during his China visit, both in his speech at the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing and in his vocal support of negotiations between China and Taiwan taking place under the "one China" principle, based on the so-called "1992 consensus."
Chang also dismissed reports by various local media indicating that while meeting with the KMT chairman, Hu said that if both sides agree to use the so-called "1992 consensus" as a foundation for negotiations, eliminate animosity and sign a cross-strait peace communique, then the missiles pointed at Taiwan would be removed.
Lien and Hu did not speak of the missiles and of their removal and also did not discuss what would be needed for China to renounce the threat of force against Taiwan, even if independence ambitions are dismissed, Chang said.
Responding to Lu's comments criticizing Lien for not taking Hu to task on the missile situation, Chang said that there is a certain procedure to be followed in such situations, and that it is impossible for the leader of an opposition party to resolve the issue.
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