Neither Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) nor his Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) counterpart Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) has confirmed their participation in a national security briefing called by the Presidential Office next week.
Speaking separately with media yesterday, both leaders said they needed more information before deciding whether to attend.
“The information [we have] right now remains confusing and vague,” Huang told a news conference in Taipei, adding that he did not even know the agenda or whether President William Lai (賴清德) would attend in person.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
He said that while the TPP had responded positively to Lai’s proposal, made during a speech marking the first anniversary of his inauguration, he was now concerned whether such a meeting would be just a briefing from one side, rather than an exchange of views between different parties.
Chu expressed the same concern when he spoke with reporters during a temple visit in Taipei.
The planned meeting “should not be a one-way lecture from the president,” but rather a mutual discussion covering a range of national security issues, including defense, the economy and energy, Chu said.
Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安) called KMT and TPP representatives on Thursday to discuss the planning of the proposed briefing on Wednesday next week, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said.
Kuo expressed hope that the opposition leaders would accept the invitation, adding that this would be the first time the Presidential Office holds a national security briefing specifically for the opposition.
She did not disclose what was discussed during Pan’s phone calls or provide any specific details on the planning of the proposed briefing.
During his speech on May 20, Lai urged leaders across party lines to “prioritize our nation’s interests and uphold our nation’s security,” adding that “grounded in shared facts, we can openly and honestly exchange views and discuss matters of national importance” and “tackle our nation’s challenges side by side.”
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