The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Tuesday criticized China for holding two summits for Taiwanese participants this week to “lecture” them rather than promote genuine cross-strait exchanges.
The two upcoming summits are being “held under the pretext of cultural and media exchanges to summon Taiwanese media and cultural figures to Beijing to lecture and instruct them,” the MAC said in a statement.
The events do not reflect the spirit of genuine cross-strait cultural and educational exchanges, and “are not welcomed by the [Taiwanese] government,” the MAC said.
Photo: Taipei Times
“The Chinese Communist Party’s use of various forms of exchanges as instruments of united front work does nothing to narrow differences across the Taiwan Strait and will not gain the recognition of Taiwanese society,” the council said.
The two summits referred to by the MAC are the second Cross-Strait Chinese Culture Summit, which started yesterday, and the sixth Cross-Strait Media Summit starting today.
Before the events officially opened, a Taiwanese delegation of about 30 people, including former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), was received on Tuesday by Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Chairman Wang Huning (王滬寧) in Beijing.
Wang said at the reception that Chinese culture is “the root and soul of the Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait,” and called for efforts to “unite and strive for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” Xinhua news agency reported.
“Efforts should be made to promote Chinese cultural exchanges, enhance cross-strait exchanges and cooperation across all sectors, and foster deeper spiritual alignment between compatriots on both sides,” Xinhua quoted Wang as saying.
Hung said that Chinese culture has a long and rich history, and that both sides of the Taiwan Strait “belong to one China,” with people on both sides being “all Chinese.”
Apart from Hung, the Taiwanese delegation included figures such as Want Want China Times Media Group chairman Tsai Eng-meng (蔡衍明), singer Chyi Yu (齊豫) and songwriter Vincent Fang (方文山) — who is best known for his long-time collaboration with pop star Jay Chou (周杰倫).
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