Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (連戰) yesterday said he was going to China to promote engagement across the Taiwan Strait.
“The purpose of my trip is very simple — to boost bilateral exchanges by reviewing past developments and projecting future growth trends,” Lien said prior to his departure for Beijing.
Lien, who is traveling at the head of a delegation of more than 30 political figures and business executives, said he had not visited Beijing in nearly two years.
Photo: CNA
“I want to take advantage of this trip to get an overview of the latest developments there and meet old friends and good pals of mine, as well as make new friends,” he said.
“Today happens to be the Lantern Festival on the Chinese Lunar calendar. This is a really good time to make a nostalgic, yet forward-looking journey,” he added.
Lien said that while cross-strait relations have made substantial progress in various aspects since the crucial years of 2005 and 2008, there was still ample room for improvement.
In 2005, Lien met Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) for the first time in Beijing in his capacity as then-opposition KMT chairman. The meeting was widely credited as an ice-breaking event that helped thaw the long-stalled cross-strait relations.
Bilateral engagements made another breakthrough in 2008, when the the KMT returned to power and institutionalized cross-strait talks were resumed.
During his current visit to Beijing, Lien said he would exchange views with the Chinese side on how to expand and deepen bilateral engagements based on past achievements and current foundations.
Lien further said he was not visiting China for any partisan or personal interests.
“The trip is mainly for maintaining lasting peace, stability and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait,” Lien added.
Chinese authorities reportedly took the initiative to invite Lien to visit Beijing.
He is scheduled to meet with China’s president-in-waiting, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (習近平), today, making him the first influential Taiwanese figure to meet with Xi since he took over the helm of the Communist Communist Party (CCP) in November last year.
Xi, who has seldom addressed Taiwan-related topics in public since he assumed the post as CCP general secretary, is widely expected to outline his vision for cross-strait relations during his meeting with Lien.
Lien will hold a press conference in Beijing at 11am today after his meeting with Xi earlier in the day, according to reports from Beijing.
The members of Lien’s delegation include KMT vice chairmen Lin Fong-cheng (林豐正) and John Chiang (蔣孝嚴), New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (郁慕明), Lien’s son, Sean Lien (連勝文), and several business tycoons, such as Hon Hai Group chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘) and Ruentex Group chairman Samuel Yin (尹衍樑).
‘NON-RED’: Taiwan and Ireland should work together to foster a values-driven, democratic economic system, leveraging their complementary industries, Lai said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed hopes for closer ties between Taiwan and Ireland, and that both countries could collaborate to create a values-driven, democracy-centered economic system. He made the remarks while meeting with an Irish cross-party parliamentary delegation visiting Taiwan. The delegation, led by John McGuinness, deputy speaker of the Irish house of representatives, known as the Dail, includes Irish lawmakers Malcolm Byrne, Barry Ward, Ken O’Flynn and Teresa Costello. McGuinness, who chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, is a friend of Taiwan, and under his leadership, the association’s influence has grown over the past few years, Lai said. Ireland is
A saleswoman, surnamed Chen (陳), earlier this month was handed an 18-month prison term for embezzling more than 2,000 pairs of shoes while working at a department store in Tainan. The Tainan District Court convicted Chen of embezzlement in a ruling on July 7, sentencing her to prison for illegally profiting NT$7.32 million (US$248,929) at the expense of her employer. Chen was also given the opportunity to reach a financial settlement, but she declined. Chen was responsible for the sales counter of Nike shoes at Tainan’s Shinkong Mitsukoshi Zhongshan branch, where she had been employed since October 2019. She had previously worked
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
The Taipei District Court today ruled to extend the incommunicado detention of former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying (應曉薇) for two more months as part of an ongoing corruption trial. Codefendants in the case — real-estate tycoon Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) and Ko's former mayoral office head Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗) — were granted bail of NT$100 million (US$3.4 million) and NT$20 million respectively. Sheen and Lee would also be barred from leaving the country for eight months and prohibited from contact with, harassing, threatening or inquiring after the case with codefendants or witnesses. The two would also be