MISSION:The PFP chairman shrugged off concerns about his and Tsai’s conflicting opinions on the so-called ‘1992 consensus,’ saying he ‘would know how far to go’
Taipei Times
Date: Oct 07, 2016
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter
People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) yesterday said that President Tsai Ing-wen
People First Party Chairman James Soong yesterday speaks at a news conference at the Evergreen Laurel Hotel Taipei about his selection as special envoy to APEC leaders’ summit next month. Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times
(蔡英文) selecting him to be her special envoy at this year’s APEC leaders’ summit was a demonstration of her “maximum goodwill” to Beijing, acknowledging that he had communicated with China about the matter prior to the announcement of his appointment.
Soong made the remarks at a news conference at the Evergreen Laurel Hotel Taipei, where in March the PFP chairman had his first meeting with Tsai after her victory in the Jan. 16 presidential election.
“By appointing me, Tsai has shown a high level of goodwill. If Beijing cannot accept a person like me, how would there be any hope of peaceful cross-strait development?” Soong said.
Soong said Tsai asked him to represent her at the annual summit during a meeting at the Presidential Office on Aug. 4, but he did not accept the offer immediately due to the importance of the mission.
He decided to take up the challenge after careful deliberation, Soong said. [FULL STORY]
