Taiwanese companies should assume their social responsibilities and play a “positive role” in promoting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) said yesterday, amid a Chinese probe into Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.
Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate, said that China’s tax and land-use investigations into Hon Hai’s operations are an example of Chinese election interference operations.
Asked about the investigation at a routine news conference in Beijing, TAO spokesperson Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮) did not confirm the probe or refer to Hon Hai, internationally known as Foxconn Technology Group.
Photo: Screengrab from office livestream
China’s policy of respecting, caring for and benefiting people from Taiwan would not change, and the government would as always support Taiwanese businesspeople and companies to invest, Zhu said.
She signaled that Beijing expected these companies to play a political role.
“While sharing development benefits and growth dividends on the mainland and achieving rapid development, Taiwan enterprises should also assume corresponding social responsibilities and play a positive role in promoting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations,” Zhu said.
On Tuesday, Lai hit out at China over its probe of Hon Hai, saying Beijing should “cherish” Taiwanese companies.
Zhu said Lai was “duping people” by both trying to “use weapons to seek independence” and also calling for dialogue.
“As pointed out by the media on the island, William Lai has now changing from a Taiwan-independence maniac to a Taiwan-independence liar,” she said.
Taiwan New Constitution Foundation president Sung Cheng-en (宋承恩) yesterday said the TAO’s response was “complex.”
The Chinese Communist Party is “officially” telling Hon Hai founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) to back off in his election bid, which is a blatant intervention into Taiwan’s election, Sung said.
Additional reporting by Chen Yu-fu
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