The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday urged Beijing to dismantle the missiles aimed at Taiwan and when doing so, to follow the same procedure laid down by Washington for North Korea to disarm its atomic weapons.
Lin Chen-wei (林成蔚), director of DPP’s Department of International Affairs, told reporters that the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) request that Beijing withdraw the missiles targeting Taiwan was meaningless militarily, because they were mobile and could easily be restored.
“We would like to see a complete, verifiable and irreversible destruction of the missiles,” he said.
Lin said he was amazed by the remarks made by KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄).
Wu’s comments created an image of a Beijing that was friendly to Taiwan and that the people of Taiwan need not be concerned about Beijing’s military threats, Lin said.
While President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has said that his administration would not resume talks with China if Beijing did not withdraw missiles, Lin expressed concern that both sides were scheduled to resume negotiations while the missiles are still deployed.
“The KMT seems to have become Beijing’s pawn,” Lin said.
Lin made the remarks after attending a meeting called by DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to discuss the major issues of the week.
While the former DPP administration had wanted to tackle the cargo charter flights, weekend charter flights and Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan as a package, the KMT administration has dumped the cargo charter flights and did not get anything in return, Lin said.
Lin criticized the KMT for trying to fulfill Ma’s election promises at the expense of the nation’s bargaining leverage.
DPP Deputy Secretary-General Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) criticized Wu’s remarks as “inappropriate,” demanding the KMT explain whether they struck any under-the-table deals with Beijing during Wu’s visit to China.
“They owe the public an explanation,” he said.
Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said yesterday that his understanding was that Wu did not mention the missiles during his meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) last week, nor was it an issue during yesterday’s weekly lunch meeting between Ma, Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) and Wu at the Presidential Office.
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