Radio Taiwan International 
Date: 13 May, 2019
By: Natalie Tso

National Security Bureau (NSB) Deputy Director General Ko Cheng-heng speaking to reporters on Monday (CNA picture)

A top national security official is saying that China has no right to tell Taiwan media what to do. The official, National Security Bureau (NSB) Deputy Director General Ko Cheng-heng, was speaking on Monday.

Ko’s comments follow on the heels of the Cross-Strait Media People Summit, which Beijing hosted last Friday. Nearly 100 media and other organizations from Taiwan and China participated.

A high-ranking Chinese official, Wang Yang, told participants that it was their job to promote reunification under China’s “one country, two systems” formula. He also said the United States is just using Taiwan as a pawn and would not help Taiwan in the event of a war.

Ko says this is the first time that such “extreme and provocative” comments have been used at the annual conference, since it was first held four years ago. He says Taiwan is willing to hold exchanges with China but it is not willing to participate in efforts to promote unification of the two sides. He also said such remarks only damage cross-strait ties.    [FULL  STORY]