The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has suffered from a “China-pandering disease” relapse, a New Power Party (NPP) lawmaker said yesterday, citing a KMT mayor’s proposal to establish a Beijing office and former party chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu’s (洪秀柱) visit to China scheduled to begin tomorrow.
“The KMT appears to be experiencing a ‘China-pandering disease’ relapse after Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) consolidated his power at the Chinese Communist Party’s [CCP] 19th National Congress,” Legislator Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) said on Facebook.
Hsu cited as examples that New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) welcomed a proposal to establish a representative office for the municipality in Beijing to serve as a platform for communication, while Hung on Friday announced that she is to lead a delegation to China tomorrow.
Hung’s visit is to offer insights into Beijing’s new phase of “united front” tactics toward Taiwan, Hsu said, adding that it is also to be seen whether Hung would use the “both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family” excuse to enter China.
The phrase, which is often used by Xi and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (李克強), is considered a show of good faith by many Taiwanese politicians, most notably by independent Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) at the 2015 Taipei-Shanghai forum in China.
Hsu also called on Hung to use the name “Republic of China” on her trip, given that the KMT has criticized the Democratic Progressive Party administration for trying to minimize use of the title.
According to a statement issued by Hung’s office on Friday, Hung is to lead a delegation of 36 entrepreneurs and party officials from her time as KMT chairwoman to Wuhan to attend a “Taiwan Week” event from Tuesday to Saturday.
It is to be Hung’s first trip to China since stepping down as party head in June. She is also slated to be the first KMT heavyweight to go to China after the conclusion of the CCP’s national congress on Tuesday last week.
Hung is reportedly to make the trip in her capacity as president of an educational foundation she established in July last year.
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