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Lai defends SEF chief from China payment claim

Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛) yesterday came out in defense of Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Secretary-General Kao Koong-lian (高孔廉) in the wake of an allegation that he has been a paid consultant for a Chinese government organization for three years.

The claim was made in yesterday’s issue of Next Magazine, which also said that Kao had investments in China.

The article said officials in China’s Fujian Province helped Kao sell a property in Fuzhou City after they learned that he would be appointed to his present position. The property in question had been on the market for a long time.

Kao is one the nation’s top negotiators with China and the deputy head of the 19-member negotiation team currently in Beijing discussing a bilateral deal on commencing direct weekend passenger flights and opening Taiwan for Chinese tourists by next month.

According to Article 33 of the Act Governing Relations between the Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係法), “any individual, juristic person, organization or other institution of the Taiwan Area shall not hold any position or become any member of the agencies, institutions or organizations of the Mainland Area which are political parties, the military, the administration or of any political nature.”

Lai said she did not believe that Kao has violated the law.

On the eve of the report’s publication, Kao told reporters he had “nothing to fear” because neither he, nor his wife, had any investments in China and that he did not hold a paid position in any organization sponsored by the Chinese government.

“On a trip to Xiamen three or four years ago, I attended an economic exchange conference. Approximately 30 to 40 of the conference participants were appointed as ‘consultants,’ without us seeking the positions. I have never attended another meeting, or been notified to attend a meeting, and I certainly did not receive a single penny from it,” Kao said.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus deputy whip Pan Meng-an (潘孟安) yesterday questioned Kao’s suitability for his position and asked Lai to assign a new representative to replace him.

“How can you expect a person who has accepted favors from the other side to work on our country’s behalf?” Pan said. “How can a person simultaneously serve as an official for both countries and yet nobody calls him a traitor?”

Pan also questioned whether Kao had violated the law.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus deputy secretary-general Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) meanwhile urged Kao to quit his adviser’s position as soon as possible.

Chang said it had been acceptable for Kao to serve as a consultant to the Chinese civil organization before he became SEF secretary-general. However, he should abandon the position now to prevent a conflict of interest.

KMT Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) said Kao should explain himself to the public so that the nation would have confidence in the integrity of the SEF’s negotiations.

However, Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇), another caucus deputy secretary-general, defended Kao, urging the DPP not to “demonize” the SEF chief.

Wu urged the DPP to present evidence to prove its allegation that Kao had received benefits from Beijing.

In related news, DPP Spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) yesterday asked the Presidential Office and National Security Council to offer a clear account of council Secretary-General Su Chi’s (蘇起) alleged secret trip to Hong Kong before the resumption of talks between Taiwan and China.

Cheng said Su owed the public an explanation as to how many times he had visited Hong Kong, who he saw there, what they talked about and whether he made any promises.

Additional reporting by Ko Shu-ling and Jimmy Chuang
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