Former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) urged vice president-elect Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) yesterday to protect the nation’s sovereignty and status while he attends the Boao Forum in China this weekend.
Su said he hoped Siew would use the opportunity to promote the so-called “1992 consensus,” which posits that while Taipei and Beijing agree to there being a “one China,” both sides differ in their interpretation of what it means.
“The best-case scenario would be to see the forum benefit both sides,” Su said.
PHOTO: CHIEN JUNG-FENG, TAIPEI TIMES
While Siew said during a vice presidential candidate debate that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would not negotiate with China should Beijing refuse to recognize the Republic of China, Su said he hoped Siew and president-elect Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) would not forget the promise they made to Taiwanese after they assume office.
Meanwhile, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) asked people yesterday not to be too optimistic about Siew’s visit to China.
Lu said she would give Siew her blessing if the visit showed promises of opening a new chapter in cross-strait relations. But right now, she said, he should be wary of the potential dangers in dealing with the Chinese. She said she would like to meet Siew when he returns so they could discuss his trip.
The Chinese crackdown on Tibet has substantially changed the global situation, Lu said, which provided an opportunity to put Ma and Siew to the test. Lu wished the KMT administration good luck in its endeavors to uphold the well being Taiwanese, but said the duo must remain vigilant and not fall into the potential traps set by Beijing.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday questioned the benefits of Siew’s attendance at the forum, saying he was “downgrading the country and himself” and that he should explain his motives to the public.
“Siew’s name does not appear on the list of participants at the forum. Since he is not officially invited, how can he attend?” DPP caucus whip Yeh Yi-ching (葉宜津) said at a press conference at the caucus office yesterday.
Yeh said her aides had looked on the Internet for a list of representatives attending the forum and that Siew’s name was not on the list.
“Did he make any deals with China in return for his participation? I think he should provide some explanations,” Yeh said.
The names “Republic of China” or “Taiwan” were also absent from the list of 26 countries listed as taking part in the forum, she said.
“Don’t tell me that Siew is representing China,” she said.
DPP legislators also attacked Siew on the legislative floor.
DPP Legislator Yu Jan-daw (余政道) said he disagreed with Siew’s idea of not participating at the forum as vice president-elect.
“Everybody knows that he [Siew] is going to be vice president. Now he’s given up that title for the forum. Doing so is degrading to the country and himself,” Yu said.
DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yee (李俊毅) said he was not comfortable with Siew dropping his title, especially as all participants at the forum must agree to the “one China” policy.
“Communicating with [China] is a good thing. But it would be terrible if the condition to do so were that we give up our own dignity and sovereignty,” Lee said.
Meanwhile, business tycoons including Morris Chang (張忠謀), founder and chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world’s largest chipmaker, and Leslie Koo (辜成允), chairman of Taiwan Cement Corp, were said to have been selected to accompany Siew.
Former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起), who now acts as Ma’s top aide, as well as Chan Hou-sheng (詹火生), executive director of the Cross-Strait Common Market Foundation, will also attend the forum, Siew spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said yesterday at KMT headquarters.
Wang said that most members were board members or advisers of the Cross-Strait Common Market Foundation, which Siew helped launch. Wang declined to confirm whether Siew would meet Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) during the forum.
Also yesterday, Government Information Office Minister Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) called on Siew to defend the rights of reporters to cover his visit to Boao.
The KMT confirmed that Siew’s delegation would make a transit stop in Hong Kong via an air charter arranged by China on its way to Hainan, but added that the flight would not be open to reporters.
Siew should do his utmost to convince the Chinese government to agree to let Taiwanese reporters on board the flight, Shieh said.
“As the vice president-elect, Siew bears the expectations of all Taiwanese. If he can’t defend the rights of reporters, how will he be able to fight for the interests of the people,” Shieh asked.
Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chih and Shih Hsiu-chuan
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