Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) visited the mausoleum of Republic of China (ROC) founder Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙) in Nanjing yesterday.
After an oration was read, Hung presented a wreath at the mausoleum. She and her delegation then bowed before a statue of Sun and observed a moment of silence.
Hung later told reporters that Sun established the ROC after toppling the Qing Dynasty and would always be the KMT’s leader.
Photo: CNA
Throughout his life, Sun was deeply patriotic, committed to revitalizing the Chinese nation and establishing a democratic republic of the people, for the people and by the people, she said.
Sun’s magnificent spirit is still extolled in Taiwan and China, Hung said, adding that the two sides can work to achieve national revitalization and economic prosperity by following his example.
Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the mausoleum ahead of Hung’s arrival, demanding that the KMT’s contribution to the War of Resistance Against Japan be accorded more importance in China.
Photo: CNA
One demonstrator waved an ROC flag and shouted: “Long live the Republic of China” and “the Three Principles of the People unify China.”
Security guards at the site prevented onlookers from filming the demonstrators.
Hung later boarded a flight to Beijing, where she was scheduled to have dinner with China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Minister Zhang Zhijun (張志軍).
Hung is today to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), who is also general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), before attending tomorrow’s Cross-strait Peace Development Forum, an annual meeting held between the KMT and the CCP since 2006.
The Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times), Taiwanese online media outlet Up Media and the Mirror Weekly, earlier yesterday were informed by the TAO that Beijing has revoked the press passes of reporters from the three media outlets to the Hung-Xi meeting today.
No explanation was given.
Meanwhile, KMT Mainland Affairs Department Director Huang Ching-hsien (黃清賢) told reporters that the Hung-Xi meeting would “follow precedent,” meaning a closed-door event with media access limited to recording opening statements by the leaders and photographing a handshake.
The KMT and CCP are to give statements to the press separately after the meeting, sources said.
Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) said the government sees all unofficial exchanges with China in a positive light.
Taiwan and China should enhance mutual understanding and promote the peaceful development of bilateral relations through meaningful dialogue and exchanges without political preconditions, Huang said.
He also reiterated that all political parties in Taiwan should stand by the public and support government policy on cross-strait ties.
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