DPP decries China's diplomatic oppression

In retaliation for China's successful scheme to sever diplomatic ties between Chad and Taiwan, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators yesterday said that they will push a proposal to block the proposed visit to Taiwan of the director of China's Taiwan Affairs Office Chen Yunlin (陳雲林).

DPP legislators Chuang Ho-tzu (莊和子), Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮) and Hsueh Ling (薛凌) yesterday said that they would jointly propose a motion to request that the government deny Chen permission to visit Taiwan unless China recognizes Taiwan as a country with independent sovereignty.

"The people of Taiwan should understand China's ambition [to oppress Taiwan] in this incident. Unless China abolishes its `Anti-Secession Law,' we think that granting a visit to Taiwan to a high-ranking Chinese official who does not recognize Taiwan's independence would be an acknowledgement of that law and act of surrendering to China," Chai said yesterday.

Chai said that they would collect more lawmakers' signatures to facilitate their proposal, which will also request that the Executive Yuan suspend any policies to open up cross-strait exchanges.

DPP Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) yesterday said that China had suppressed Taiwan's international space and the rights of the Taiwanese people with a base and rude action.

"It is an insult to Premier Su and it is quite obvious that China is targeting him," Hsiao said yesterday. "But it is fortunate that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs obtained the information of the break-off in advance, otherwise the aftermath of Premier Su's visit to Chad would be unimaginable."

DPP caucus whip Yeh Yi-ching (葉宜津) yesterday said that China had been resorting to every conceivable means to squeeze Taiwan's international space and that Chad's breaking ties with Taiwan was just the latest example of Beijing's malicious repression of Taiwan.

Yeh urged international society not to turn a blind eye to China's bullying.

"While many pan-blue camp leaders and lawmakers swarm to China and make pilgrimages to Beijing, Chinese authorities never give up their oppression of Taiwan. I urge all the Taiwanese people to clearly see China's true colors through this incident," Yeh said.

Meanwhile, DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun yesterday denounced China's manipulation of Taiwan's ties with Chad, and said that Beijing's actions should be a wake-up call to people who insist on leaning toward China.

Yu reacted to the abrupt diplomatic switch through DPP spokesman Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯).

Yu also criticized Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) for not speaking out against China's repeated suppression of Taiwan, and said that Ma's indifference to China's actions would enrage the Taiwanese people.