Beijing yesterday told a group of academics scheduled to visit China at the end of this month that the trip was canceled, Cross-Strait Policy Association (CSPA) president Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) said.
The news was broken by the Hong Kong-based China Review news agency, which published an article by Zheng Yan (鄭炎) at midnight yesterday on “messages” sent by the meeting between Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
Zheng named Tung as being among academics in Taiwan who critics say are leading the public to misinterpret the messages of the Chu-Xi meeting by providing seemingly objective, but incorrect, analyses of the meeting to temper support for the KMT.
He cited as an example an opinion piece by Tung published on the Taiwan People News Web site.
Zheng excerpted Tung’s article: China did not provide Chu with any offer to boost the KMT’s chances in the elections in January next year, which seemed to suggest that China has given up hope of Chu and the KMT winning the elections and has begun to prepare for the Democratic Progressive Party’s return to power next year.
Zheng said sources familiar with the matter said that the CSPA group visit to Beijing from May 24 to May 28 was canceled.
Tung yesterday confirmed the article, saying that he was notified of the cancelation yesterday morning via a telephone call from Beijing.
There was no reason given, Tung said.
“I was told that it would be inconvenient for the institutions in Beijing to host us,” he said.
The Institute of Taiwan Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Science last month took the initiative in inviting members of the CSPA to visit Beijing to exchange views on issues related to cross-strait relations and the Asia-Pacific region with academics of Chinese think tanks and government officials, Tung said.
Tung expressed regret over the cancelation.
He added that he hopes both sides would be able to communicate and engage with each other through multilateral channels so they can foster true mutual understanding and consensus to lay down solid foundations for peaceful development in the relationship.
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