Taiwan-China Relations

Lien Chan, Hu Jintao hold surprise talk after parade

Want China Times
Date: 2015-09-04
By: Staff Reporter

The former chair of Taiwan’s ruling Kuomintang (KMT), Lien Chan, met China’s

Lien Chan, third left, and his wife Lien Fang Yu, second left, at Tian’anmen Square on ept. 3. (Photo/CNS)

former president Hu Jintao on Sept. 3 at the Tiananmen Gate and their meeting won the approval of incumbent Chinese leader Xi Jinping, reports our Chinese-language sister paper Want Daily.

The meeting was reportedly arranged by the Communist Party of China unbeknowst to Lien until the parade ended. Their meeting fell on the 10th anniversary of the historical meeting between the two statesmen in 2005. Lien, who is then KMT chairman, proposed warmer ties across the strait to Hu, then general-secretary. Their meeting was hailed as a groundbreaking event in cross-strait history.

Lien and Hu exchanged pleasantries during the Sept. 3 meeting and both expressed their hope for continued exchanges across the strait in the future. Lien and his wife also asked Hu to send their regards to Hu’s wife Liu Yongqing, who was absent from the parade. [FULL STORY]

The Chinese Regime Is Trying to Scare Taiwan Ahead of Its Elections

Epoch Times
Date: September 2, 2015
By: Joshua Philipp

It’s been obvious that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been trying to

Tsai Ing-wen (C), chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), gestures with party members during a press conference in Taipei on April 15. The Chinese regime is holding military drills simulating invasions of Taiwan, ahead of the Taiwanese presidential elections. (SAM YEH/AFP/Getty Images)

send a message to Taiwan. Over the last couple months, these warnings have gone from vague, to obvious, to plain as day—and this very likely has something to do with Taiwan’s 2016 presidential elections leaning in a direction it doesn’t want.

Between late May and early June, the CCP’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) held several military exercises, which IHS Jane’s said simulated an invasion of Taiwan. During the drills, an image released by Chinese media showed a PLA officer giving a briefing behind a “digitally barely concealed map of Taiwan.”

As IHS Jane’s reported, the military exercises coincided with Tsai Ing-wen, the candidate for Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party, visiting the United States between May 29 and June 3. [FULL STORY]

Lien’s statement on CPC role in WWII not Taiwan’s mainstream view

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/09/01
By: Chou Yi-ling, Wang Cheng-chung and S.C. Chang

Taipei, Sept. 1 (CNA) A Taiwan academic said Tuesday that former Kuomintang (KMT)

Chang Wu-yueh (CNA file photo)

Chairman Lien Chan was not expressing Taiwan’s mainstream view when he suggested the Communist Party of China played a “leading role” behind the enemy lines during the 1937-1945 War of Resistance against Japan, which is part of World War II.

During a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who also serves as the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), in Beijing earlier in the day, Lien said that the Nationalist government under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) engaged directly with the Japanese troops in major battles, handing the latter a major setback and the CPC troops led by Mao Zedong (毛澤東) tied down the enemies behind their lines; the Chinese people paid a heavy price when they eventually defeated the Japanese aggressors to score the final victory. [FULL STORY]

Taiwan defense ministry assesses chance of PLA invasion

Want China Times
Date: 2015-09-01
By: CNA and Staff Reporter

Judging from China’s military investment and modernization in recent years, China would

An ROC Air Force Apache helicopter during a live-fire drill in southern Taiwan, Aug. 27. (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of National Defense)

probably invade Taiwan under certain circumstances, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said in a report submitted to the country’s Legislature on Monday.

In its 2015 report on China’s military power, the ministry assessed that China might invade Taiwan in some critical situations, which could include a declaration of formal independence or moves by the country toward de jure independence. Other scenarios also include massive civil unrest, Taiwan obtaining nuclear weapons, or foreign troops being deployed in Taiwan.

Delays by Taiwan over cross-strait talks on peaceful unification or foreign intervention in Taiwan’s internal affairs could also prompt China to invade, the ministry assessed. [FULL STORY]

PLA aiming 1,500 missiles at Taiwan: defense ministry

Want China Times
Date: 2015-09-01
By: CNA

Lin Yu-fang, a legislator for Taiwan’s ruling Kuomintang, said Monday that China poses an

A missile launch during a drill by the PLA’s Second Artillery Corps, Feb. 7. (File photo/CNS)

ever-growing threat to Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific region as a whole, as its Second Artillery Corps has been renovating weaponry and upgrading missile deployments.

Based on a report on China’s military strength submitted to the Legislature by the Ministry of National Defense, Lin said that in the past year, the PLA’s Second Artillery Corps has increased its troop strength from 140,000 to 150,000 and the number of its ballistic missiles and cruise missiles from 1,600 to 1,700.

Meanwhile, the number of missiles targeting Taiwan has been increased from 1,400 to 1,500, he added.

Lin said the defense ministry also confirmed that in addition to the aircraft carrier Liaoning, China is building two further carriers of the same level in Dalian and Shanghai, and is planning to set up an aircraft carrier command under the navy command in order to reinforce their combat capability. [FULL STORY]

Nationalists also fought the Japanese, Beijing concedes

Want China Times
Date: 2015-08-31
By: CNA and Staff Reporter

China’s top Taiwan affairs official on Sunday acknowledged the Kuomintang’s contribution to China’s War of Resistance against Japan during World War II.

Zhang Zhijun, head of the State Council’s Taiwan Affairs Office, told visiting former KMT chair Lien Chan that the KMT took the lead in fighting occupying Japanese forces on the front line while the Communist Party of China played a “leading role from behind the enemy line” during the 1937-1945 war against Japanese invasion that became a theater of World War II.

“This is our view of that period of the Chinese history,” Zhang was quoted by Chang Jung-kung, former deputy secretary general of KMT, who is now Lien’s aide. The PRC government has traditionally played up the role of Communist guerrillas in the war of resistance and airbrushed the contribution of the regular Republic of China army under Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek, which did the majority of the fighting in China. To watch any of the countless movies or TV dramas about the war on Chinese television is to get the impression that Mao’s Communists defeated the Japanese single-handed. [FULL STORY]

Only purpose of China visit is to remember history: ex-KMT chair

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/08/31
By: Chiu Kuo-chiang and Christie Chen

Beijing, Aug. 31 (CNA) Former vice president and Kuomintang (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (連

Lien Chan (left) and Yu Zhengsheng (front, right)

戰) said on Monday in Beijing that the only purpose of his China visit is to commemorate history by participating in an upcoming event that celebrates the 70th anniversary of the end of the Eight-Year War of Resistance against Japan (1937-1945).

The war to defend China against Japan’s invasion and occupation was the bloodiest war ever fought in China, with up to 23 million Chinese civilians and soldiers killed, according to estimates. It later became a part of World War II.

Lien’s visit is controversial because the Beijing event on Sept. 3 is seen as an attempt by the People’s Republic of China to play up the role of the communists in the war. [FULL STORY]

Taiwan-China transit accord likely before 2016

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-08-25
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan and China were likely to reach an agreement before the

Taiwan-China transit accord likely before 2016. Central News Agency (2015-08-25 18:12:27)

end of the year about Chinese airline passengers changing flights in Taiwan, reports said Tuesday.

The report came as both countries signed accords about double taxation avoidance and aviation safety at the end of their 11th round of talks in the city of Fuzhou in China’s Fujian Province.

At his news conference, the Taiwanese chief envoy, Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Lin Join-sane, said that there was a high level of mutual consensus on the issue of the Chinese transit passengers, and that both sides could work hard to put the plan into practice by the end of the year.

Taiwan has been attracting more and more Chinese tourists, but it has also expressed the hope that Chinese travelers could take flights to Taiwanese airports just to transit on to other flights, thus also giving tax-free shops at airports more business opportunities. [FULL STORY]

Cross-strait meeting under way in Fuzhou, China

Taipei Times
Date: Aug 25, 2015
By: Staff writer, with CNA

Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Lin Join-sane (林中森) yesterday arrived in

Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Lin Join-sane, left, accompanied by China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits Chairman Chen Deming, second left, visits the Chinese Shipyard Culture Museum yesterday after Lin arrived in Fuzhou, China, for the latest round of high-level cross-strait meetings. Photo: CNA

Fuzhou, China, for the latest round of high-level meetings with his Chinese counterpart, Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits Chairman Chen Deming (陳德銘).

Lin and his delegation were greeted by Chen at the hotel at which they are staying.

The formal talks began later yesterday.

The main items on the agenda of the talks are framework agreements on the avoidance of double taxation and aviation safety, which are expected to be signed this afternoon.

When greeting Lin, Chen said the two sides would also discuss allowing Chinese air passengers the right to transit through Taiwan and making cross-strait transport links more convenient. [FULL STORY]

Taipei mayor clever in use of language in Shanghai: US and Taiwanese scholar

Want China Times
Date: 2015-08-22
By: Staff Reporter

US and Taiwanese scholars praised Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je’s clever use of words during

Ko Wen-je, left, and Yang Xiong. (Photo/CAN)

his visit to Shanghai but said he avoided saying he “recognizes” the 1992 Consensus, reports our Chinese-language sister paper Want Daily.

Ko’s clever use of words suggests he has a lot of potential in politics, said Professor Leng Tse-Kang, a researcher with the Institute of Political Science at Taiwan’s Academia Sinica during a seminar held in by US think tank the Stimson Center in Washington DC on Thursday.

He quoted Ko as stating that he “respects and understands” China’s stance on the principle and used the phrases coined by Chinese president Xi Jinping such as “both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one family” during the Shanghai visit.

The mayor visited Shanghai between Aug. 17 and 19 and attended the annual Taipei-Shanghai Forum on Aug. 18. [FULL STORY]

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