Chiang's 'Cross-Strait Peace' Call: Legislator Defends, But Stumbles Under Questioning

KMT legislator Yeh Yuan-chih defended party chairwoman Cecilia Chiang's recent visit to the United States, emphasizing her goal of promoting cross-strait peace. Chiang had stated after her trip that her proposals for peace were supported by various American scholars, experts, think tanks, and officials.

However, Chiang's visit was not without controversy. During a press conference, a Chinese anti-communist protester confronted Chiang, shouting "selling out Taiwan," before being removed by security. Additionally, some reports suggested that certain Americans viewed Chiang as a representative sent by the Chinese Communist Party.

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She is hoping to create cross-strait peace.

Appearing on the program "Face to Face News," host Hsieh Chen-wu questioned Yeh about these incidents. Hsieh asked if it was appropriate for Chiang to be confronted by a Chinese anti-communist activist who was subsequently removed, and whether it was fitting for her to be seen by some in the U.S. as a CCP envoy. Yeh initially dismissed the protester incident as a mere "interlude." He suggested that if the intended meetings had not occurred, everyone should express regret. He even shifted blame, implying the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) should have offered more assistance to Chiang rather than observing the situation with amusement, characterizing it as political infighting.

Yeh insisted that Chiang's objective was to establish a direct channel with the U.S. and share information with the KMT. He reiterated that her consistent goal was "to create cross-strait peace," enabling meetings and exchanges with Xi Jinping. Yeh acknowledged that Chiang's visit yielded some results but noted that the unfulfilled meetings and on-site disruptions could serve as lessons for future trips. He expressed hope for more assistance from the DPP in the future. Hsieh immediately countered by asking if there were any shortcomings in handling the situation with the individuals who were removed from the scene. Yeh became visibly flustered, stammering, "You say... this... uh, perhaps because it was an unfamiliar environment abroad, and people didn't quite know how to handle it, using a rather rough method."

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You say... this... uh, perhaps because it was an unfamiliar environment abroad, and people didn't quite know how to handle it, using a rather rough method.