Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) spokeswoman Angel Hung (洪于茜) yesterday hit back at the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) over accusations that it is “anti-US” and reiterated the KMT’s call for more concrete improvements in Taiwan-US ties.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday announced an end to decades of “self-imposed restrictions” introduced by the US Department of State to regulate interactions between US diplomats and other officials, and their counterparts in Taiwan.
Hung wrote on Facebook that shortly after Pompeo’s announcement, the KMT said that it views the progress in official bilateral relations positively and it would strive to help promote exchanges with the US, as long as they are in line with the Constitution and the expectations of Taiwanese.
Photo: CNA
However, experts in the US have raised doubts over whether the change in the policy would achieve much, as US president-elect Joe Biden is to take over the White House from US President Donald Trump on Wednesday next week, she said.
In addition to symbolic actions, people hope for more concrete, substantive and persistent enhancement of bilateral relations, she said.
The DPP has “absurdly interpreted” the KMT’s comments in favor of improved diplomatic ties with Washington as being “anti-US,” Hung said.
She accused the DPP of habitually using the topic of Taiwan-US affairs to exploit other parties.
What the KMT has proposed is what most Taiwanese look forward to, Hung said, adding that the KMT urges the government to pursue independent foreign relations, insist on equal, friendly and mutually beneficial principles, and respond pragmatically to changes in relations between the US and China.
The KMT hopes that the government can maintain a cautious attitude and prevent Taiwan becoming a bargaining chip for either side, she said.
As the ruling party, the DPP should consider how to further improve relations between Taipei and Washington, and focus on providing real benefit to Taiwanese, she said.
A series of discussions on the legacy of martial law and authoritarianism are to be held at the Taipei International Book Exhibition this month, featuring findings and analysis by the Transitional Justice Commission. The commission and publisher Book Republic organized the series, entitled “Escaping the Nation’s Labyrinth of Memory: What Authoritarian Symbols and Records Can Tell Us,” to help people navigate narratives through textual analysis and comparisons with other nations. The four-day series is to begin on Thursday next week with a discussion between commission Chairwoman Yang Tsui (楊翠), Polish-language translator Lin Wei-yun (林蔚昀), and Polish author and artist Pawel Gorecki comparing
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