Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) could meet with Chinese officials if China does not make a political prerequisite for such a meeting, party spokesperson Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said.
Lin made the remarks in response to a report in the Chinese-language China Times yesterday that said Tsai could meet with China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Director Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) during his planned trip to Taiwan this year.
The report said that Tsai declared her intent to sit down with Zhang at an informal meeting attended by former premiers Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and Yu Shyi-kun (游錫堃), DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), Greater Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) and Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德).
Photo provided by the Greater Tainan City Government
It cited sources as saying that during the meeting, Chen said when she led a delegation to visit China’s Tianjin City last year that Zhang flew to Tianjin from Beijing to visit her.
“If Zhang visits Taiwan this year, could we meet?” Chen asked at the meeting.
Lai, who visited China yesterday to attend the opening ceremony of an art exhibition, was cited in the report as saying: “If Zhang mentioned he wanted to see me in Taiwan, how should I respond?”
The report quoted sources saying that Ker said that the party must change its attitude of “anti-China in every respect.”
“If Zhang wanted to visit you [Tsai] in Taipei, how would you respond?” Lai is quoted as asking.
Tsai said that as long as China did not make any political prerequisites, she could meet Zhang at the DPP headquarters in Taipei, the report said.
Ker was quoted as saying that if Zhang visited the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, he hoped that Zhang could understand the different opinions among Taiwanese.
Lin said that the party did not confirm nor deny the report.
“But some of its contents are not true: The chairperson did not say the words quoted,” he said.
Lin said Tsai did not mention Zhang, rather she said that if China does not make political prerequisites, the DPP welcomes Chinese officials to visit the party.
He said the DPP supports cross-strait exchanges and does not reject mutual visits.
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