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MAC denies Chinese officials canceled trips after protests

Mainland Affairs Council Spokesman Liu Te-shun (劉德勳) dismissed speculation yesterday that China had barred its officials from visiting Taiwan because of the demonstrations against Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) last week.

Asked for comment in the legislature, Liu said he had not received any such notification from China. He said he was not concerned about whether the demonstrations against Chen outside the Grand Formosa Regent Taipei last Wednesday night would hurt future cross-strait exchanges.

“Most people understand that Taiwanese are hospitable. This is well-known throughout the world,” he said.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators, however, expressed concern that cross-strait relations might have been affected by the demonstrations.

KMT caucus secretary-general Chang Sho-wen (張碩文) said he hoped future cross-strait exchanges would not be overshadowed by the protest.

“The hawks might gain the upper hand over the doves in China after Chen was humiliated in Taiwan. It is possible that China may adopt a tougher Taiwan policy,” said KMT Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方), head of the Foreign and National Defense Committee.

There have been reports that three official delegations canceled plans to visit Taiwan in the wake of the protests.

“There are groups from China that have canceled,” KMT spokeswoman Chen Shu-jung (陳淑蓉) said.

“Because of safety concerns, they’re not coming here in the short term,” Chen said.

But Chinese government spokesman Li Weiyi (李維一) was quoted by Xinhua news agency as denying there had been any suspension of official visits.

“Cross-strait exchanges cannot be damaged by a minority of people, and will only get closer. Yet it cannot be ruled out that some individuals may defer visits to Taiwan, though this is up to the individual,” Xinhua quoted Li as saying.

A vice-mayor of Chongqing canceled his trip, which was to begin today, the Chinese-language United Daily News said.

China’s central government rejected the trip, the paper said.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY REUTERS


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