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๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ผ Taiwan /Elections & Politics

Chen Yu-chen supports Straits Forum, suggests 'united front' engagement with mainland; Liang Wen-chieh questions results

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A legislator from Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang party, Chen Yu-chen, suggested engaging in 'united front' work with mainland China.
  • She criticized the government's ban on officials attending the upcoming Straits Forum, calling it unnecessary.
  • A political opponent, Liang Wen-chieh, questioned the results of such engagement.

Kuomintang legislator Chen Yu-chen has sparked debate by advocating for Taiwan's participation in 'united front' activities with mainland China. Chen argued that the government's decision to prohibit central and local government officials from attending the upcoming Straits Forum is unnecessary. She suggested that Taiwan could also engage in 'united front' work targeting the mainland.

Chen Yu-chen stated that the ban demonstrates a lack of confidence in Taiwan's democracy among government officials. She questioned why Taiwan should not consider influencing or engaging with the mainland, implying a reciprocal approach to cross-strait relations. Her remarks suggest a willingness to explore different avenues of interaction with Beijing, potentially challenging the current government's policy.

There is no need... why don't we think that we can also conduct a united front against them...

โ€” Chen Yu-chenJustifying her stance on Taiwan's engagement with mainland China.

However, her stance has drawn criticism. Liang Wen-chieh, a political opponent, sarcastically questioned Chen's proposal, asking her to "show the results" of such engagement. This retort implies skepticism about the effectiveness or feasibility of Chen's proposed 'united front' strategy, highlighting the deep political divisions in Taiwan regarding cross-strait policy.

Please show the results.

โ€” Liang Wen-chiehResponding critically to Chen Yu-chen's proposal.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.