The push for cross-strait unification by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Deputy Director Sun Yafu (孫亞夫) during his recent visit to Taiwan was “inappropriate,” National Security Bureau Director Tsai Der-sheng (蔡得勝) said yesterday.
Sun attended a forum on cross-strait issues on Dec. 10 and Dec. 11, but was allowed to stay until today to visit various locations across the country.
At a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, Tsai Der-sheng said he agreed with Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Huang-liang’s (蔡煌瑯) critique of Sun’s activities in Taiwan, adding that they were not in line with the stated purpose of his visit — to participate in the academic conference.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
Sun “showed no respect for Taiwan’s laws and the public’s will” because his visit turned out to be a trip in which he employed “united front tactics” when speaking at conferences and on campuses, the lawmaker said.
“It was ill-mannered to display such bad behavior,” Tsai Huang-liang said.
Tsai Huang-liang accused the bureau of “cowardice” because it took no action to stop Sun, adding that it had “indulged” Sun in preaching to Taiwanese about unification with China, despite mainstream opinion favoring the maintenance of the cross-strait “status quo.”
Tsai Der-sheng said the bureau was not in a position to determine whether Sun had complied with his stated purpose for visiting Taiwan because that was the mandate of the National Immigration Agency.
However, considering the current state of cross-strait relations, Sun’ behavior was “inappropriate,” he said.
During a break in the meeting, Tsai Der-sheng called for mutual respect.
“When a guest says something that is not to their host’s liking, is that right? It’s not,” he said.
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