Former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday declined to confirm whether she would accept Beijing's invitation to visit China.
A Chinese-language United Daily News story reported that the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) had said on Thursday that it would welcome Lu as president of her planned daily, the Formosa Post (玉山午報).
Lu said yesterday that she had not received an invitation from the CPPCC and that she would consult her paper's board before making any decision. The Formosa Post will publish online on April 1.
“I will respect the opinions of the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP], but don't forget that I am a free person now,” she said yesterday during a visit to Hsinchu City.
Lu said she had visited China in 1990 as an independence advocate and that any new trip would not change her stance.
As the fate and development of Taiwan are affected by China, it is proper for the opposition to monitor the government's cross-strait policies by visiting China to gain a better understanding of it, she said.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said former officials who had left their positions less than three years ago and had handled confidential information should seek approval from a committee including the National Security Bureau, Justice Department and the MAC before traveling to China.
The MAC said that if the Presidential Office decided that Lu's level of involvement in national secrets during her term did not require her to seek approval, it would respect the Presidential Office's decision.
Meanwhile, DPP Legislator William Lai (賴清德) said that if Lu could not visit China using her official title of former vice president, then she should not go.
Lai said former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (連戰), People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) and Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) had failed to highlight Taiwan as a sovereign nation during their trips to China, and that if Lu planned to do the same, her trip would be inappropriate.
DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yee (李俊毅) said that if China allowed Lu to hold an international press conference and say whatever she wanted, then Lu should speak out about Taiwan's independence, but if Lu found China was using her as part of its unification agenda, she should reject the invitation.
DPP Spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) said the DPP aimed to uphold Taiwan's sovereignty and Taiwanese interests when dealing with cross-strait issues. He said that as a politician with plenty of experience, Lu would exchange opinions with the party before she made a decision on the matter.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY RICH CHANG
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