Members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Taiwan Statebuilding Party (TSP) yesterday accused Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁) of trying to nullify security laws and undermine national sovereignty in the legislature after returning from China.
Fu led 16 KMT lawmakers and a number of party officials on a visit to China earlier this week, and soon after returning has been vigorous in his efforts to amend the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法) and other national security laws, TSP secretary-general Wu Hsin-tai (吳欣岱) told a news conference in Taipei.
People are seeing KMT lawmakers colluding with China to subvert Taiwan’s sovereignty by planning to nullify punishments, Wu said, also accusing Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) lawmakers of collaborating with the KMT to diminish the public’s will to fight for Taiwan.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
“We have these so-called opposition parties sitting in the legislature who are willing collaborators for China, so who needs an enemy?” Wu said, demanding that DPP legislators stand firm.
TSP Kaohsiung City Councilor Chang Po-yang (張博洋) said that China has been bullying Taiwan for decades, now with constant military intimidation.
“But Fu sees none of that and instead loves going to China, always speaking of the need to depend on the Chinese market for Taiwan to have economic prosperity,” Chang said. “Decoupling links to China has become a common trend among democratic nations, but Fu and other KMT members want to do the reverse.”
However, Beijing officials belittled Fu and his delegation, as they offered very little in return for their visit and did not open up and allow Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan as Fu had hoped for, Chang added.
Separately yesterday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) responded to Fu on Wednesday pressuring other lawmakers to change the word “China” to “mainland” and “nation” to “Taiwan” in legislation.
“I think this action is not necessary, and Taiwanese would find it quite unbelievable,” he told a hearing at the legislature. “Official government papers have long had a tradition of finding an appropriate way when addressing the country across the Taiwan Strait, therefore I think everyone should respect such tradition.”
Meanwhile, Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) said he sees no need to change the terminology.
“In the past, people have used various terms when at different events; some spoke of China, others of the mainland,” he said. “It is still what people use during those occasions, but it points out that across the Taiwan Strait are two separate political entities.”
DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) castigated Fu’s trip as groveling to Chinese leaders and taking instructions.
“Fu’s actions speak volumes,” she said.
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