DPP officials yesterday expressed regret over Beijing's refusal to renounce military intimidation of Taiwan, saying the declaration has once again hurt the feelings of Taiwanese.
But the officials said that the public shouldn't be overly concerned with China's attitude, as it is merely a continuation of communist party policy and does not represent any new threat.
Taiwan received a flat rebuff from China two days after President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen told the Chinese leaders that Taiwan would not change its status quo if Beijing stops threatening Taiwan militarily.
But yesterday, China's Defense Minister Chi Haotian (
DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (
The secretary general called on Beijing not to consider Taiwan its rival and asked that China work with Taiwan to seek peace.
Director of the DPP's Chinese Affairs Department Chen Chung-hsin (
He said that while the government does not expect China's attitude to be easily changed, there may be room for flexibility in terms of the tactics the government can use when dealing with Beijing.
The president has proposed using civil organizations to negotiate with China. Beijing has said it welcomes that initiative.
President Chen's recent tough remarks on China have triggered public concern that his shift in attitude could rile Beijing and make the resumption of dialogue impossible.
But DPP officials have said they do not believe the comments would affect cross-strait relations given that the DPP is still committed to a peaceful resolution of the cross-strait dispute.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
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