Taiwan politicians across party lines view Tsai-McCarthy meeting positively
ROC Central News Agency
04/06/2023 03:26 PM
Taipei, April 6 (CNA) Politicians across party lines in Taiwan expressed positive views Thursday about the meeting between President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and United States House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and they all said they supported efforts to strengthen bilateral ties.
Tseng Ming-chung (曾銘宗), legislative caucus whip of the main opposition Kuomintang, told CNA that his party welcomed the meeting, which was aimed at bolstering Taiwan-U.S. ties.
He said, however, that Taiwan's government should assess the possible impact of the meeting on national security and cross-Taiwan Strait relations.
In general, Tseng said, Taiwan's government should promote sustainable exchanges to ensure the stable development of the relations across the strait.
The people of Taiwan and China wish to see peace and stability, he said, urging Beijing not to overreact to the meeting between Tsai and McCarthy, which took place Wednesday in California.
New Power Party Legislator Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智), meanwhile, applauded the meeting, saying that it signified the U.S.' support for Taiwan and the friendship between the two sides.
The meeting should be viewed positively, he said, adding that he hopes more exchanges by officials from both sides can be facilitated.
Beijing must acknowledge that Taiwan, as a sovereign and independent country, has the right to interact with other nations, he said, criticizing Beijing for its ongoing threats against Taiwan in the wake of the meeting.
Taiwan People's Party (TPP) caucus whip Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) also expressed similar views, saying that the U.S. is a free and democratic nation, and as such, China does not have the right to dictate with whom American officials should meet.
China's threats and intimidation will only worsen cross-strait relations, Chiu said, calling on the Chinese Communist Party to maintain rational and pragmatic exchanges instead of continuing its efforts to suppress Taiwan.
Such actions only serve to undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and hurt the feelings of the people on both sides, he said.
In a Facebook post, Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Tsai's meeting with McCarthy had contributed greatly to the efforts to expand Taiwan's diplomatic space and strengthen its relations with the U.S.
McCarthy, a close friend of Taiwan, has voiced his support over the years for its meaningful participation in international organizations, Lai said.
(By Wang Cheng-chung, Kuo Chien-shen and Ko Lin)
Enditem/pc
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