Beijing: The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Tuesday accused the Kuomintang (KMT) of "ignoring growing hostility" after it joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in expressing opposition to an independent Taiwan during a forum in Beijing.
According to Focus Taiwan, the forum, themed "prospects for cross-strait exchanges and cooperation," was held at the China World Hotel, Beijing, and is widely seen as paving the way for a possible meeting between KMT Chairperson Cheng Li-wun and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
At the forum, Song Tao, director of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, emphasized that the CCP and the KMT must oppose "Taiwan independence" to ensure "the correct direction of cross-strait relations." He stated that Beijing would continue implementing policies to promote cross-strait economic cooperation while showing no leniency toward "Taiwan independence forces" and external interference.
Song Tao urged Taiwanese political parties and civic groups to "be on the right side of history" and uphold peace across the Taiwan Strait by "resolutely opposing intervention by Taiwan independence separatist and external forces."
KMT Vice Chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen echoed Song's sentiments, asserting that Taiwan independence must be resisted. He emphasized that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait were ethnic Chinese and should collaborate to rejuvenate the Chinese nation. Hsiao mentioned that the KMT hoped the forum would help explore ways to revitalize Taiwan's industries, particularly tourism and cross-strait economic cooperation, and address shared concerns such as medical care for aging populations, climate change, disaster prevention, AI, renewable energy, and carbon reduction.
Lee Hong-yuan, deputy chair of the KMT-affiliated National Policy Foundation, later revealed that forum participants from both sides agreed on "15 shared recommendations." These included promoting group tours to Taiwan from China's Fujian province and Shanghai, as well as strengthening exchanges among cross-strait businesses, research institutions, and industry groups.
In Taipei, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng criticized the KMT's participation, stating it ignored what he described as growing hostility from Beijing. This included military aircraft and naval activity, diplomatic and economic coercion, as well as attempted "cross-border suppression" targeting Taiwanese military personnel, government officials, and civilians, which Chiu claimed was the real cause of deteriorating cross-strait relations. "Listening to his [Song's] remarks, it felt more like a lecture than an exchange," Chiu said.