Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) yesterday denied allegations that his party is planning to send representatives to Beijing to discuss the possibility of holding the KMT-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) annual cross-strait forum in December.
Wu on the sidelines of a public forum in Taipei rejected allegations that the mission of the representatives is to discuss the date for this year’s forum and the possibility of a meeting between Wu and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
“We have to consider that the CCP is holding its 19th National Congress and is next month to participate in the APEC summit in Vietnam, which Xi is scheduled to attend. Afterward, US President Donald Trump is also slated to make a state visit to China,” Wu said.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
Wu said that the timing of the forum is not his main concern, as it could be held any time that suits both parties.
The KMT-CCP annual forum — officially called the Cross-Strait Peaceful Development Forum — began in 2006, after former vice president and then-KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) visited China in April 2005.
No forum was held in 2014, when Taiwan was preparing for its first nine-in-one local elections at the end of November and Beijing was holding the annual APEC summit that same month.
However, there have been speculations that this year’s forum might not take place, considering the CCP’s other major events and Wu’s apparent lack of support for unification, which has upset Beijing.
Even if the forum is successfully arranged, Wu must still secure approval from the Presidential Office in accordance with the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法).
The act, introduced in 2003, requires that former presidents, premiers and ministers with classified status gain government approval for overseas travel for up to three years after leaving office.
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