City officials say broadcast had been approved by TAO

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/07/05
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Chinese officials looking on during the meeting between Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je and TAO chief Liu Jieyi (right in background, in blue shirt) (screensho

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – China broke off the Facebook live streaming of a meeting between Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and the Chinese government’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) chief Liu Jieyi (劉結一) barely 10 minutes after its start Friday (July 5).

The encounter itself, at a Shanghai hotel, had only been announced earlier in the day, with the Taipei City Government hurrying to report the change in itinerary to the Taiwanese Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), as required.

Ko, who is widely expected to announce a bid for the presidency in next January’s elections, has been spending three days in Shanghai for a twin-cities forum.

Taipei City spokespersons said the TAO had agreed to the live broadcast, but 10 minutes into the meeting, a Chinese official suddenly addressed the lens directly, asking to stop recording. A spokeswoman said the streaming had been approved, but the official kept insisting, covering the camera with his hands before the connection was cut, the Central News Agency reported.
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