Sun, Mar 03, 2024 page3

• FEATURE: Legislators vie to lead international friendship groups

  VOICE OF TAIWAN: With the DPP dominating most of the international friendship groups, the KMT is scrambling to form more groups to showcase its views internationally

  • By Chen Cheng-yu and Lin Hsin-han / Staff reporters
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  Legislative diplomacy has sparked competition among the ruling and opposition parties, as the establishment of interparliamentary friendship groups is in full swing, with 25 groups established in two weeks, including 22 led by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

  Amid China’s increasing efforts to suppress Taiwan’s international presence, legislative diplomacy has become an alternative and flexible diplomatic channel for Taipei to deepen ties with like-minded countries.

  The Legislative Yuan in 1990 established the Eastern Europe and Soviet Union, Norther American, Europe and Asian-Pacific study groups, and last year, former legislative speaker You Si-kun (游錫?) established the legislature’s Department of International Affairs.

  

  Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Yi-ying, standing, presides over the launch of the Taiwan-Australia and New Zealand Interparliamentary Amity Association in Taipei on Friday last week.

  Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times

  The 10th Legislative Yuan created 73 interparliamentary friendship groups, including 58 led by the DPP, and 11 led by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).

  The interparliamentary friendship groups must start over again with the new legislature, but if a former group chair has been re-elected, they have priority to initiate the same friendship group.

  However, as new legislators account for nearly 50 percent of the seats in the 11th Legislative Yuan, many former groups must be handed over or competed for.

  A row over the re-establishment of the largest interparliamentary group — Legislative Yuan US Caucus — almost led to the formation of two separate caucuses last month, as DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) and Legislative Deputy Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) of the KMT both sought signatures to be the caucus chair.

  As the American Institute in Taiwan signaled that it wanted to have a single point of contact with the legislature, the parties negotiated for a week before forming a dual-chairperson system, cochaired by Wang and KMT Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩), with Chiang as honorary chair of the caucus.

  The legislative speaker is conventionally the chair of the Taiwan–Japan Amity Association, but Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文), who is familiar with Japan-Taiwan affairs, said that when Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) was Kaohsiung mayor, he was late to a meeting with Hajime Sasaki, who was then-director of the local Junior Chamber of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party.

  Han was dubbed the “late devil” by Japanese media at the time, leaving a bad impression, Kuo said, adding that if Han cannot stand up to China’s suppression or set limits on himself, Taiwan’s space for legislative diplomacy might narrow and negatively affect the foundation laid by the previous legislature.

  Three of the new legislature’s 25 interparliamentary friendship groups are led by KMT legislators, including the amity association with Spain, chaired by Legislator Lu Yu-ling (呂玉玲); the amity association with Asian-Pacific countries, chaired by Legislator Cheng Cheng-chien (鄭正鈐); and the Legislative Yuan US Caucus cochaired by Ko.

  KMT members yesterday said that as the DPP has dominated the discourse of legislative diplomacy, they would form more interparliamentary friendship groups, while increasing their interactions with foreign media and think tanks, to showcase the KMT’s importance within Taiwan.

  The Republic of China (ROC) has special international status, which requires legislative diplomacy to overcome diplomatic difficulties, an important job for the Legislative Yuan, Chiang said.

  It is the responsibility of lawmakers to participate in legislative diplomacy, he said, adding that he had been the chair of amity associations with the UK and Singapore.

  As deputy speaker, he said he would continue to convey Taiwanese’s voices and promote the ROC’s freedom and democracy to the international community.

  KMT Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) said she has established an international youth political participation friendship group, and also submitted an op-ed to a US think tank discussing the KMT’s changes and direction.

  She said she would continue to communicate through international channels to let other countries know that the legislature is not only represented by the DPP.
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