Only Chinese-approved political views allowed on forum's agenda

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/09/21
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As dozens of Chinese warplanes intruded into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), communist leaders and a small group of Taiwanese spoke in the city of Xiamen of the links between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, CNA reported.

The affair was more subdued than ever before, with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic keeping people home, and even Taiwan’s main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) stayed away due to insulting remarks by a Chinese television anchor.

Even the supposed host of the event, Wang Yang (汪洋), the chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, only addressed the Sept. 16 meeting via videoconference.

While officials emphasize that the forum is a grassroots event relying on private citizens, the preconditions are purely political, with China’s view of Taiwan’s status a prerequisite. Right from the opening address, the speeches emphasize unification and condemn independence for Taiwan, CNA reported.    [FULL  STORY]