Government Information Office Minister and Cabinet Spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang (
"We hope [Lien] clearly delivers the message that there is only one China. But according to our own definition, this `one China' means the Republic of China," Cheng said.
The Cabinet spokesman was responding to media queries ahead of Lien's upcoming visit to China. Lien will fly to Beijing today with a group of business leaders and academics. He is to attend an economic summit tomorrow and meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao (
PHOTO: WANG MIN-WEI, TAIPEI TIMES
"If Mr. Lien also recognizes this country, I would urge him to ask the Chinese government to stop oppressing Taiwan's self-expression on all fronts in the international community. Please ask [the Chinese government] to put an end to the idea of terminating us," Cheng said during a press conference after the Cabinet's weekly meeting.
Cheng said that what President Chen Shui-bian (
"As for other issues that may concern the public, they should be left for the government to take care of through official negotiations or peace talks," Cheng said.
Although Cheng said the president was hoping that Lien would deliver a clear message to Hu about Taiwan's sovereignty, the former KMT chairman had already made it clear that he would not be the president's messenger, adding that he would address issues such as direct flights across the Taiwan Strait.
About 100 Taiwanese independence activists yesterday protested against Lien's trip and the Chinese Communist Party, alleging that Taiwan's interests were being sold out. Protesters said they feared that the meeting would end in disaster.
"We strongly protest against the talks between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party," a demonstrator shouted through a megaphone outside the KMT headquarters in Taipei.
Former president Lee Teng-hui (
The statement said the protesters feared the KMT would sell out Taiwan's interests in a "closed-door meeting" in Beijing and demanded that the party make the results of the meeting public.
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