Chai doubts sincerity of China visit offer

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko Chun-hsiung holds a press conference yesterday to deny allegations that he and other members of a KMT delegation were entertained by bargirls at a lounge bar in China. PHOTO: LIAO CHEN-HUEI, TAIPEI TIMES

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮) expressed doubts yesterday about the sincerity of an invitation extended by the Taiwan Affairs Office for him and other DPP lawmakers to visit China.

"The invitation was a ruse," Chai said.

Chai, a longstanding advocate of Taiwanese independence, said that even if the invitation were sincere, several prerequisites would have to be met by Beijing before such a visit could take place.

The prerequisites he mentioned include a pledge by Beijing that it wouldn't restrict the size of the DPP delegation, that the delegation could arrange its own itinerary and that its freedom of speech would not be curtailed. Furthermore, Beijing would have to allow reporters to accompany the delegation, Chai said.

"Beijing would have to meet these prerequisites before talks on the details of such a visit could be held," Chai said, adding that given the current political climate in China, he doubted that Beijing would agree to his conditions.

"We didn't order any bargirls and we stayed in the lounge bar for just half an hour. We were treated to a meal by China-based Taiwanese businesspeople."

Ko Chun-hsiung, a KMT legislator, denying a media report that a KMT delegation was entertained by bargirls in China

Meanwhile, DPP Legislator Wang Sing-nan (王幸男) said that before such a visit could take place, a video conference would first have to be held in which Beijing confirmed that the DPP legislators would be visiting in their capacity as legislators of the Republic of China.

Jia Qinglin (賈慶林), chairman of the Beijing-based Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said in early March that CPPCC members should take advantage of various favorable conditions to make extensive contact with Taiwanese people, including diehard or headstrong pan-greens.

Before Jia's remarks, Beijing authorities had refused to have any dialogue or engagement with the DPP administration because of its pro-independence leanings.

In related news, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators yesterday denied a report that they had sought sensual pleasures on a recent visit to China.

The Chinese-language Next magazine ran a story in its latest issue, claiming that KMT legislators Ko Chun-hsiung (柯俊雄), Wu Ing-yi (吳英毅) and Chang Sho-wen (張碩文) visited a lounge bar where they were entertained by five bargirls.

The report said the trip led by Ko was initially organized to inspect the implementation of the mini-three-links, the routes between the outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu with the Chinese province of Fujian.

In response, Ko yesterday told a press conference that the publication had insulted the legislators "by inventing the story."

"We didn't order any bargirls and we stayed in the lounge bar for just half an hour. We were treated to a meal by China-based Taiwanese businesspeople, and we personally met all our other expenses," Ko said.

Wu also admitted visiting the lounge bar, but said he did so to seek medical treatment for his sprained wrist.

According to Next, the KMT delegation -- which comprised 10 legislators, 18 assistants and an undisclosed number of other staff -- left for China on July 17 and returned last Friday.

In accordance with the legislature's regulations, legislators are entitled to a subsidy of NT$160,000 (US$4,886) per legislative session for trips abroad.

But Ko said the legislators would not seek reimbursement for their travel expenses.