Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members serving in the government and working for the party must tender reports to the party before and after their planned visits to China, Hong Kong and Macau, or if they have met with Chinese officials, President William Lai (賴清德), who is also the party chairman, said yesterday.
As the political party that is the bulwark of Taiwanese democracy and sovereignty, the DPP will also hold courses or workshops to help party workers and party members in government to be more mindful of national security and the concept of the rule of law, Lai said.
DPP caucuses in the legislature and local governments should draft regulations or enact systems reinforcing national security mindsets for legislators’ or councilors’ assistants, Lai said.
Photo courtesy of the Democratic Progressive Party
Foreign aggressors have stepped up measures to infiltrate Taiwan on top of cognitive warfare, “united front” rhetoric and “gray zone” tactics, as evidenced in recent reports of party members alleged to be working with Chinese spies, Lai said yesterday.
The DPP, which devotes itself to protecting Taiwan, is naturally the political party that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) would most want to infiltrate, not the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which shares similar views with the CCP, Lai said.
As members of a political party born under an autocracy, they should keep in mind that the party’s mission is to protect and uphold the democratic and free government of Taiwan, while adhering to the party’s founding beliefs to be free of corruption, hard-working and embracing of local culture, Lai said.
The alleged acts of the accused contravene what the DPP stands for and betray the nation’s interests for personal gain, and they must answer to the party, the nation’s legal system and the citizenry, Lai said.
Lai made the comments during the convention of the party’s Central Standing Committee.
Lai called on the DPP legislative caucus to support national security and anti-infiltration amendments.
It is not the first time that the DPP has been infiltrated, Lai said, adding that some party members have changed their views and stance on national sovereignty after they left government.
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