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Tu speech sparks LSE spat

A London-based Chinese student, left, yesterday holds up a sign reading ''No Cultural Brainwash'' during a speech by Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng. PHOTO: CNA

Chinese students disrupted a speech by Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng (杜正勝) yesterday at the London School of Economics (LSE).

Tu, a LSE graduate, was invited to deliver a speech on Taiwan's educational reforms and the future of the nation. He was Taiwan's first minister to speak at the school.

The students held up signs reading "Stop cultural brainwashing" and "Taiwan is a part of China" -- ending up in a shouting match with Taiwanese students.

Event staff told the students to sit down, but one Chinese student stood up and brandished a sign before the speech had finished.

During the question and answer session, the Chinese students asked Tu whether he "acknowledged" Chinese culture, why he served as director of the National Palace Museum and what he meant by "Taiwan's sovereignty," which he had used in his speech.

This was met by angry protests from Taiwanese in the audience, who called for the questioner to stop speaking, whereupon the shouting match resumed.

Tu responded by emphasizing that Taiwan had its own values, rights and freedoms and that even though the government comprised political parties which are at odds with each other, Taiwan was a democratic country and its future would be decided by its citizens.
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