The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday accused the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) in using of insinuation and mudslinging tactics to sabotage the nation’s foreign relations.
The DPP’s remarks followed the KMT yesterday saying that the DPP’s vice presidential candidate Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) had secretly met with US non-governmental organization Spirit of America (SoA) to provoke a war in the Taiwan Strait.
KMT Taipei City Councilor Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) told a news conference that SoA is a right-wing organization and Hsiao on Aug. 9 last year had a “secret meeting” with SoA members in Washington, as she showed a photo of Hsiao with SoA founder Jim Hake and executives.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
“SoA has for many years worked with US armed forces and diplomats in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine and other conflict zones, where they provide support for local civil society groups through training programs, medical supplies, equipment for emergency communication and publicity campaigns,” Hsu said.
SoA provides “white-glove service” worldwide in promoting war, she said, adding that where SoA goes, a military conflict breaks out.
“There is no war in the Taiwan Strait. So why the DPP wants to bring SoA to Taiwan? Is it to develop their work [in Taiwan]?” Hsu said.
“During this [election] campaign, the DPP has been accusing the opposition parties of selling ‘fear of war.’ However, it is the DPP who welcomed 25 merchants of war selling weapons, and it is also the DPP who is linking up with an organization providing guidance for the US to conduct wars,” KMT Taipei City Councilor Yu Shu-hui (游淑慧) said.
Tai Wei-shan (戴瑋姍), spokeswoman of the campaign office of Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential candidate, said “the KMT bases its campaign on disseminating misinformation and baseless accusations.”
“They have adopted dirty mudslinging and smearing tactics to vilify DPP figures and influence the election, but they are also harming Taiwan-US relations,” Tai said.
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