Taiwan's DPP downplays China's attack against VP-elect Lu<\/p>\n
TAIPEI (AFP): Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)
\nplayed down on Wednesday China's recent barrage of vitriolic
\nattacks against vice president-elect Annette Lu.<\/p>\n
Beijing "simply tried to exert its pressure (on Taiwan) using
\nLu as a topic," DPP chairman Lin Yi-hsiung said when asked to
\ncomment on the Chinese moves.<\/p>\n
"Virtually all the DPP members were treated the same way (by
\nBeijing)," Lin said.<\/p>\n
The DPP, which contains the controversial independence clause
\nin its party platform, terminated the Kuomintang's (KMT) 50-year
\ngrip on power when its candidate Chen Shui-bian pulled off a
\nstunning victory in the March 18 presidential polls.<\/p>\n
Since then China has ratcheted up the pressure on Lu while
\nadopting a wait-and-see attitude toward Chen.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday the state-controlled Xinhua news agency again
\nbranded her a "lunatic" and a "traitor."<\/p>\n
"Even before she took office, the diehard pro-independence
\nelement Annette Lu showed her true colors and in public preached
\nher notorious remarks on the independence of Taiwan," said a
\nXinhua commentary appearing in all major dailies.<\/p>\n
The commentary continued to blast an interview given by Lu.
\nIt was "ludicrous" to believe Lu's statements that the people
\nacross the Taiwan Strait were "remote relatives" and that
\ngeographically Taiwan and the mainland were "close neighbors,"
\nthe commentary said.<\/p>\n
Beijing has insisted Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.
\nTo mollify China during Taiwan's presidential election campaign
\nlast month, Chen promised to drop any moves towards independence
\nif elected.<\/p>\n
Since his victory he has made several conciliatory overtures
\nto Beijing but not at the expense of abandoning Taiwan's
\nsovereignty.<\/p>\n
Mindful of the planned historic summit between the two Koreas
\nin June, Lin urged Beijing to hold peace talks with Taiwan,
\nsaying "confrontation should be replaced by detente which is a
\nglobal trend."<\/p>\n
Lin hailed leaders of the two Koreas, saying the encounter
\nwould be in the interest of the people in the two states.<\/p>\n
Taiwan and China held an historic summit in 1993 in Singapore
\nwhich led to a series of technical negotiations, but Beijing
\nbroke off talks in mid-1995 after Taiwanese President Lee Teng-
\nhui traveled to the United States for a landmark visit.<\/p>\n
Beijing alleged it was part of his efforts to split the island
\nfrom the "motherland."<\/p>\n
In October 1998, Taiwanese envoy Koo Chen-fu and Chinese
\nPresident Jiang Zemin held the highest-level meeting between the
\ntwo rivals, but the encounter did not lead to any formal
\ndiscussions.<\/p>\n
Chinese envoy Wang Daohan was to visit Taiwan last year but
\npostponed his trip indefinitely to protest Lee's statehood claim.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/taiwans-dpp-downplays-chinas-attack-against-vp-elect-lu-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}