Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Acting Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) yesterday denied accusations that former party chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) had direct contact with top Chinese officials, calling them part of a “smear campaign.”
The Chinese-language Mirror Media on Sunday released alleged messages between Ko — who last month stepped down as chairman of the party as he awaits trial on corruption charges — and his campaign finance chief, Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗).
There was no need to formally respond to the magazine’s allegations, Huang told a news conference, calling it “trash” and the report an attempt to paint Ko “red,” an apparent reference to the Chinese Communist Party.
Photo courtesy of the Taiwan People’s Party
TPP Legislator Chen Gau-tzu (陳昭姿) said she is known for her stance in favor of Taiwanese independence and Ko would not have invited her to join the party or placed her in a favorable position if he was pro-China.
Asked how Taiwan’s political parties should communicate with China, Huang said that it is the TPP’s mission to defend democracy, freedom and Taiwan’s way of life.
There is no need to engage in war and the two sides should be able to communicate for the benefit of the public, he added.
The messages Mirror Media said it had obtained allegedly showed that Lee communicated with former Mainland Affairs Council deputy minister Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀), E-United Group founder Lin Yi-shou (林義守) and China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Director Song Tao (宋濤), with the magazine saying that the connections extended up to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) office.
Chinese officials allegedly had a favorable view of Ko’s candidacy, the report said.
It also alleged that Ko had ordered Lee to delete the messages due to their sensitive nature.
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