The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday criticized two upcoming high-level forums between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Chinese officials, calling them part of China’s unification strategy.
DPP spokesperson Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) said the DPP saw the forums as a political event and that cross-strait dialogue should be conducted within a country-to-country framework.
A large number of senior KMT officials are expected to attend the second annual Straits Forum — a weeklong event which begins tomorrow — in Fujian Province, China. Former vice-premier Eric Chu (朱立倫), who is running for Sinbei City mayor, was one of the KMT delegates at the forum last year.
Former KMT chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) is expected to lead another delegation to a KMT-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) forum in Guangzhou from July 8 through July 11.
Tsai said DPP party and elected officials would be barred from attending both forums after a number of DPP mayors received invitations to attend the weeklong Straits Forum. Two DPP members were disciplined last year after they attended a KMT-CCP forum despite a party ban.
Unofficial KMT exchanges with China have attracted growing anger from the DPP, which says that such contact serves as a front for secret political exchanges. The DPP says that cross-strait relations should be conducted on an official government-to-government basis.
Former National Security Council secretary-general Su Chi (蘇起) was forced to call off a visit to the Boao Forum in April after his plans drew questions from legislators over national security concerns.
“We aren’t against dialogue with China, but this should be conducted under a framework that is accountable to the public. These forums, however, have the ultimate goal of political unification — a position that the DPP is very much against,” Tsai said.
He said that rather than party to party forums, the DPP would aim to expand its dialogue with China through third channels, including non-governmental organizations, city exchanges or educational contacts.
Adding to comments by DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) last month that the DPP would not rule out having “realistic dialogue with China,” Tsai Chi-chang said the party was aiming for a mutually respectful and equal platform to conduct talks with Beijing.
He did not elaborate on when such talks could take place, saying only that they were in the planning stage.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was sentenced to six months in prison, commutable to a fine, by the New Taipei District Court today for contravening the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法) in a case linked to an alleged draft-dodging scheme. Wang allegedly paid NT$3.6 million (US$114,380) to an illegal group to help him evade mandatory military service through falsified medical documents, prosecutors said. He transferred the funds to Chen Chih-ming (陳志明), the alleged mastermind of a draft-evasion ring, although he lost contact with him as he was already in detention on fraud charges, they said. Chen is accused of helping a
SECURITY: Starlink owner Elon Musk has taken pro-Beijing positions, and allowing pro-China companies to control Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is risky, a legislator said Starlink was reluctant to offer services in Taiwan because of the nation’s extremely high penetration rates in 4G and 5G services, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which reviewed amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法). Article 36 bans foreigners from holding more than 49 percent of shares in public telecommunications networks, while shares foreigners directly and indirectly hold are also capped at 60 percent of the total, unless specified otherwise by law. The amendments, sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
The eastern extension of the Taipei MRT Red Line could begin operations as early as late June, the Taipei Department of Rapid Transit Systems said yesterday. Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said it is considering offering one month of free rides on the new section to mark its opening. Construction progress on the 1.4km extension, which is to run from the current terminal Xiangshan Station to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, was 90.6 percent complete by the end of last month, the department said in a report to the Taipei City Council's Transportation Committee. While construction began in October 2016 with an
RSS