Taiwan Today

Several members of the Democratic Progressive Party have indicated they will attend an upcoming conference in mainland China later this month. Fan Cheng-tzung, former magistrate of Hsinchu County, and Hsu Jung-shu, a former legislator, will depart July 10 for a conference in the mainland commonly known as the “Forum between the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party.” DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen said recently that the conference and other similar forums sponsored by the mainland such as “The Cross-Strait Forum” are all part of the communist party’s “united front” tactics, and that DPP officials as well as party members serving in government posts are not allowed to attend such gatherings. Chuang Suo-hang, deputy CEO of the DPP’s Headquarters Policy Research and Coordinating Committee, said that while his party “neither encourages nor forbids” rank and file members from attending such gatherings, all party officials and DPP public servants above a certain rank must inform the party leadership of their visits to mainland China. If not, they will be dealt with in accordance with party regulations. When asked July 6 about the possibility of DPP members attending the upcoming conference, Chuang said “The forum has nothing to do with the DPP.” If any party members wish to attend the forum, that is their personal business. The DPP has not received any notification from party members on related invitations, Chuang said. Hsu on the other hand noted that when former President Chen Shui-bian was still DPP party chairman, she was able to go to the mainland as a member of the Central Standing Committee of the DPP. There should be no need to report her visits to the party now, she noted. “I am a strong believer in a democratic system of government, and will not change such a belief after my visits to China” Hsu said. “If I am tricked by their united front tactics merely as a result of going to this conference, doesn’t that make me a little too gullible?” Fan confirmed that he is attending the conference, but did not wish discuss details of who else is attending, or which organization issued the invitation. He did ask, however: “What business is it of the central standing committee if I go to China?” On a related note, Lin Jih-jia, secretary-general of the Taiwan Solidarity Union, has said that no members of the TSU will be going to the mainland soon. (HZW)