The DPP yesterday continued to attack KMT Chairman Lien Chan's (
The ruling party sought to defend President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), who triggered a storm of controversy on Monday when he called Lien's idea "a voyage of surrender."
Lien responded by asking why his plan had been dubbed "`a trip of surrender,' whereas the same idea proposed by Chen eight times has not."
Both the media and the KMT criticized Chen's remarks as being "contradictory."
Chen has announced his intention to visit China eight times, including twice as a DPP presidential candidate, when he said he would like to visit China before being inaugurated as president.
On March 18, 2000 -- the day he was elected, Chen re-stated his wish to visit China to embark upon "a voyage of reconciliation and communication" accompanied by Vice President Annette Lu (
When Chen was about to assume the DPP's chairmanship last May, he declared his wish to visit China as his party's chairman, saying he would meet with Chinese leaders to "drink tea and have a chat."
Speaking in defense of Chen, DPP Secretary General Chang Chun-hsiung (
But given that China always responds to Chen's offer by restating the "one China" principle and the "one country, two systems" policy, Chang said the trip was therefore impossible for the time being.
Chang said Lien's visit would harm the esteem of the country's 23 million people because he did not care that China recognizes neither Taiwan's sovereignty nor the existence of the ROC.
After the weekly meeting of the party's Central Standing Committee, the DPP asked Lien what title he would use to visit China, what his views on the "one China" principle and "one country, two systems" policy were, and what topics he would discuss.
Chang Jung-kung (張榮恭), director of the KMT's Department of Mainland Affairs, said that Chen, as a presidential candidate in 2000, said that he would visit China "in any capacity, so long as he could go."
"What status would Chen have used?" Chang asked.
He said he did not know where the DPP got the impression that the KMT supported the "one country, two systems" policy, as it actually strongly opposed it.
As for the "one China principle," he said the KMT held the belief that "one China" represents "one Republic of China," which is in line with the nation's Constitution.
Regarding the subjects Lien would discuss with China, Chang said the KMT had prepared several topics, including a peace agreement and cooperation in cracking down on crime.
"This is more substantial than chatting and drinking tea, which was Chen's suggestion," he said.Also See Story:
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