The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday condemned Want Want China Times Media Group (旺旺中時媒體集團) for making comments at the Cross-Strait Chinese Culture Summit that it said have damaged Taiwan’s sovereignty, adding that it would investigate if the group had colluded with China in the matter and contravened cross-strait regulations.
The council issued a statement after Want Want Holdings (旺旺集團有限公司) general manager Tsai Wang-ting (蔡旺庭), the third son of the group’s founder, Tsai Eng-meng (蔡衍明), said at the summit last week that the group originated in “Chinese Taiwan,” and has developed and prospered in “the motherland.”
“We, as Chinese, should never forget our roots, history, culture, and that we come from the same veins and are charged with the same mission,” Tsai Wang-ting said.
Photo: Taipei Times
“We are grateful for various support available in the motherland and would always remember our responsibility and mission as Chinese, which is to pass down Chinese culture to the next generation,” he said.
The council yesterday said the media group assisted the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in hosting the summit to protect its business in China.
“The group further echoed the CCP’s agenda in the summit, which severely damaged our national interests and sovereignty,” the council said.
It has been CCP’s tactic to use cross-strait exchange events as a cover for its intention to carry out its “united front” campaign against Taiwan, the council added.
“Prior to the summit, we had reminded the public that the event would use media and cultural exchange as a pretext, but in reality it is meant to bring Taiwanese working in the media and cultural industry to Beijing, and lecture them about things they should and should not do. This is not a purely cultural and exchange event, and participation is not encouraged,” the council said.
However, the media group persisted in its pursuit of self-interest in China, disregarding reactions from Taiwan and making statements that harmed national sovereignty, it said.
“It has willingly become a pawn in China’s united front strategies against Taiwan. We severely condemn such a move,” it said, adding it would examine if the media group had colluded with the Chinese government and military, and contravened the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例).
Following the council’s statement, the China Times in an online statement said: “According to the Constitution and the Act Governing Relations Between People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, Taiwan and the Mainland both belong to one China. Taiwanese people are Chinese people, children of Zhonghua (中華). This has always been our position. We urge everyone to uphold and defend the Constitution and work together for cross-strait peace and Taiwan’s future.”
Prior to the summit, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Chairman Wang Huning (王滬寧) met in Beijing with Tsai Eng-meng and former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), among others.
In the meeting, Wang said there was a need to “jointly uphold the one China principle and the 1992 consensus, firmly oppose Taiwan independence and separatist activities, and remain unwavering in advancing the great cause of national reunification.”
The “1992 consensus” — a term that former MAC chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the CCP that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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