Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said yesterday that the reinstatement of the party’s Department of China Affairs is neither a surrender to China nor a means to fawn over the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), but rather an instrument to improve the DPP’s understanding of China and to face the country confidently and actively.
Some people’s response to the reinstatement of the department is typical and fosters an atmosphere of conflict, Su said, adding that politicians needed to outgrow such ancient ways of thinking.
Su made the remarks in response to comments by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Mainland Affairs Department Director Chang Jung-kung (張榮恭) while attending a ceremony in Taipei to celebrate the first anniversary of the Eball Foundation that he established.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Chang said the name of the Department of China Affairs was meant to emphasize a “nation to nation” relationship with China and that if the party wants to engage with Beijing under such a title, in Beijing’s eyes this would be regarded as malicious.
Su said the party had reiterated that China is a neutral title, used by both Beijing and the international community and added that the department, which had been abolished five years ago, would adopt a pragmatic and self-confident approach to China.
The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it has launched a probe into a restaurant at Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store after a customer died of suspected food poisoning. A preliminary investigation on Sunday found missing employee health status reports and unsanitary kitchen utensils at Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in the department store’s basement food court, the department said. No direct relationship between the food poisoning death and the restaurant was established, as no food from the day of the incident was available for testing and no other customers had reported health complaints, it said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Later
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