The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) should have done more to prevent former vice president Lien Chan (連戰) from visiting Beijing this week to participate in events marking the end of World War II, New Power Party (NPP) member Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said yesterday.
“The KMT has ‘gone soft,’ only mouthing opposition to Lien’s visit and cooperation with China’s ‘united front’ by attending a military parade,” said Huang, who serves as interim captain of the NPP’s party-building taskforce.
The KMT failed to either take concrete steps against Lien or stake a clear position against his trip beyond calling the visit “inappropriate.”
Huang said the rules governing visits to China by former government officials need to be revised.
“Retired officials owe the nation a certain amount of loyalty, particularly those who have large pensions,” Huang said.
“People who use Taiwanese taxpayers’ money to enjoy a cushy retirement and then go to China to ‘chime in’ with united front efforts should not be tolerated,” he added.
Beijing’s events commemorating the victory over fascist powers during World War II are “absurd,” because China itself is an authoritarian fascist state whose military expansionism poses a major threat to the peace and stability of East Asia, he said.
Lien attendance at tomorrow’s parade is inappropriate because the People’s Liberation Army has never renounced its ambition to invade Taiwan and threaten its liberal, democratic way of life, Huang said, adding that Beijing recently passed a “National Security Act” codifying that the duty of “Taiwanese compatriots” is to defend national unity.
Lien current trip, coming in the wake of that act’s passage, mirrors his 2005 trip to China right after Beijing passed its “Anti-Secession” Law, Huang said.
NPP legislative candidate Freddy Lim (林昶佐) also condemned Lien’s trip.
“To go to that kind of a ceremony and act as a ‘cheerleader’ for the Chinese is really disgraceful for a former vice president and premier,” Lim said.
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