At least 20 consulting committee members of the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC), including China-based businesswoman Susan Tung (董淑貞), hold positions in Chinese political bodies or have been involved with the operations of China’s United Front (統戰), Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said yesterday.
Tung raised controversy with a suggestion to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) earlier this week that, to ensure Taiwan’s future, he should disregard other voices in Taiwan and focus on further cooperation between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party.
Tsai said Tung was appointed as a council consulting committee member in February, but that she is also an overseas delegate of the Jiangxi Provincial Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, director of an overseas subdivision of the United Front Work Department and a consultant of the World League for Freedom and Democracy — a non-governmental organization which is sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Photo courtesy of Liu Yao-jen
At a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee yesterday, Tsai questioned Tung’s eligibility as an OCAC committee member, describing Tung’s suggestion to Chu as an apparent attempt to unite Taiwan and China.
“Is such a radical remark appropriate?” Tsai asked. “Can Taiwanese opinions be disregarded?”
OCAC Deputy Minister Hsin Shih-chang (信世昌) said that Tung has resigned from her role with the council.
Tung’s membership was on an honorary basis and was conferred on her only after stringent assessments had been carried out, Hsin added.
“I find it inappropriate that [Tung suggested to] ignore the voice of 23 million people in Taiwan,” Hsin said, adding that Tung’s remarks were made in a closed-door meeting.
“Those who are operating within China’s United Front framework or Chinese political bodies, as Tung is, should not serve as OCAC members,” Tsai said.
Hsin agreed.
Tsai called for the council to look into reports that more than 20 of its consulting committee members are involved in the United Front department, which Hsin agreed to do.
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