DPP suspects backroom deal for paper

Questions: * The DPP wants to know if the "United Daily News " report that the KMT-owned "Central Daily News" has secured a charter from the Chinese Communist Party to set up branch offices in China and to be distributed in that country is true * The DPP wants to know what arrangements the KMT made in China and if the CCP has bought the paper * It also wants the KMT to explain why it agreed to change the paper's name

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials yesterday accused the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) owned newspaper Central Daily News of collaborating with Chinese authorities, saying that the daily plans to publish in China.

The DPP asked the KMT to explain the issue.

The DPP made the demand in reaction to a story run by the Chinese-language daily the United Daily News yesterday which reported that the Central Daily News has earned a charter from the Chinese Communist Party to set up branch offices in China to handle printing, distribution and advertising.

The report said the deal was part of an agreement reached by former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) during his trip to China last April.

DPP Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) and department of Chinese affairs director Tung Li-wen (董立文) held a news conference yesterday afternoon to urge the KMT to explain the matter to the people of Taiwan.

Tung that KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) did not deny that the newspaper is going to be distributed in China during a question-and-answer session in the Taipei City Council yesterday.

Tung he suspected that the Chinese government had bought the newspaper.

"The KMT should answer the question of whether the CCP has purchased the Central Daily News or become a shareholder in the paper, since the CCP promised to assist with arrangements for the paper," Tung said.

The KMT should also explain why it accepted China's request to change the name of the newspaper by omitting the word "Central," Tung said.

"Does this mean that the KMT is ready to accept China's `one China, two systems,' and let Taiwan become one of China's special administrative regions?" Tung said.

Although the paper has been in the red for a long time and the KMT -- long the world's richest political party -- is facing financial difficulties, the party cannot allow the paper to become China's mouthpiece, he said.

Cheng said that the party has to disclose what agreement the KMT and the CCP reached so that the Central Daily News would be allowed to run in China.

"Taiwan's newspapers have been prohibited from being published in China for a long time, and we believe there must have been a backroom deal," Cheng said.

When asked by reporters to respond to the United Daily News report, Ma said that setting up a Central Daily News branch in China was one of four or five plans that the KMT had drawn up to extend the life of the paper.

"But the plan is still under evaluation," Ma said.