There must be stronger transparency, oversight and emergency protocols for those with significant political influence who visit China in order to protect national security, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said this morning, as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) departed for China.
Any such figures visiting China should publicize which Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials they met with, Cho said during an interpellation session at the legislature.
If any illegal activity is discovered, the government must enact a "post-disaster" plan, he added.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Any engagement with the CCP by political representatives must be subject to strong public and media scrutiny, he added.
The comments come ahead of Cheng’s six-day trip to China, where she may meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
There has been speculation that the KMT had proposed postponing consultations over the special defense budget from Thursday until next week, once Cheng has returned from Beijing.
Civil servants must undergo a joint review by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Ministry of the Interior before traveling to China, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) said today.
However, political party leaders are not subject to the same regulations, raising concerns over what is discussed during these trips and how authorities can monitor it, he said.
The Cabinet has proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) to include legislators as “designated personnel” subject to review, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said.
The amendments would also require all elected officials to publicly disclose any contact with CCP, government or military entities in China, he said.
The government had discussed extending these regulations to those deemed to have significant political influence, but the proposal was tabled, as it would be difficult to define given Taiwan’s many political parties, he said, but added that he “strongly supports” the idea.
Shen alternatively suggested that "significant political influence" should encompass chairpersons or vice chairpersons from political parties with a certain number of seats in the legislature.
Enforcement of the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法) has been historically challenging due to the high burden of proof required, Chiu said.
Authorities are currently consulting with judges and prosecutors to improve evidentiary standards and strengthen enforcement, he added.
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