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CROSS-STRAIT TALKS: Tsai pens open letter opposing Chen’s visit

An open letter penned by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was published in the opinion pages of several Chinese-language newspapers yesterday, detailing reasons why her party opposes the visit of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林).

Tsai said the protests were aimed at preventing the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) from leaning too heavily toward China.

While the DPP does not oppose negotiations between Taiwan and China, Tsai said the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government's insistence that Chen come to Taiwan was an attempt to “cover up its low approval rating by staging a superficial ceremony on cross-strait reconciliation.”

“The Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] has employed all resources and publicity channels to advertise Chen Yunlin's visit to Taiwan as if the whole country were brimming with expectations about the visit and no voice of opposition could be found,” the letter read. “However, that is not true.”

“As the opposition party, the DPP needs to stand up and voice its stern stance at a time when the governing authority is [fawning] all over China as it remains oblivious to public feelings and oppresses freedom of speech,” it said.

“All Republic of China [ROC] national flags at the Grand Hotel [where Chen is staying during his five-day visit] were hidden because Chen asked the government to do so” Tsai said in the letter. “Taiwan is our country. If the country wanted to conduct cross-strait talks with China with dignity, why should it hide the national flag when the guests arrived?”

She said the move by the government had humiliated the country, adding that Ma, after being the head of the state for six months, still had not grasped the concept of what sovereignty meant.

“In the not too distant future, will Taiwan still have its sovereignty? Will Taiwanese have other options besides accepting unification?” she wrote.

Tsai also asked DPP members not to use violence “any time, in any circumstances” during their protest against the ARATS chief, adding that “democracy was the DPP's only weapon.”

In a visit to former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday, Tsai said the DPP would soon propose a law stipulating that individuals and political parties that participate in cross-strait negotiations must declare any investments and economic interest in China so the public could see any potential conflicts of interest.

Lu meanwhile urged the government to release records of government officials and politicians going to China.

The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) issued a statement last night dismissing Tsai's allegations as “groundless.”

The statement said cross-strait negotiations being conducted by the Straits Exchange Foundation and ARATS were under the scrutiny of domestic laws, the Taiwanese public and the media.

While the first round of cross-strait negotiations took place in Beijing in June this year, the statement said, it only made sense to hold the second round in Taipei.

The government has exerted its efforts to protect national security and advance peace in the Taiwan Strait and East Asia in accordance with public opinion and regulations, the statement said.

Such policies have won the recognition and support of the US, Japan, the EU and other allies, it added.

The statement also said the government had invited Tsai to discuss national affairs since the new government was formed on May 20 but she had declined the invitation.

Additional reporting by Ko Shu-ling
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