Chinese National Confronts KMT Chairwoman Koo in New York, Calling Xi Jinping a Dictator
Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Kuomintang Chairwoman Cecilia Koo was questioned by a Chinese national during a forum in New York.
- The individual criticized Chinese President Xi Jinping as a dictator and warned Koo about Taiwan becoming like Hong Kong.
- Koo reiterated her stance on promoting cross-strait dialogue for regional stability and addressed concerns about Taiwan's defense budget.
Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cecilia Koo faced a direct challenge during a forum at the Asia Society in New York when a Chinese national confronted her about Chinese President Xi Jinping's intentions toward Taiwan.
Xi Jinping is preparing to forcibly occupy Taiwan because Taiwan is a democratic society and China is a dictatorial society. Xi Jinping is a dictator.
The individual, wearing a shirt reading "Embrace the Communist Party. Taiwan Becomes Hong Kong," questioned Koo, stating that Xi Jinping is preparing to invade Taiwan because China is a dictatorship and Taiwan is a democracy. The situation caused a brief commotion, with event staff attempting to remove the heckler, who continued to voice his criticism and show Koo the message on his shirt.
For you, understand!
Koo, who had spoken about her meeting with Xi Jinping and reiterated that he understands Taiwan's choice of a different social system, responded with a smile. She has consistently advocated for cross-strait exchanges as a means to promote regional peace and stability. Responding to concerns from the Financial Times about whether such engagement might weaken deterrence against China, Koo asserted that these worries are unnecessary.
This concern is completely unnecessary.
She emphasized that dialogue between the two sides helps prevent miscalculations and improve relations, clarifying that this does not mean Taiwan abandons its deterrence capabilities. Koo also addressed the issue of Taiwan's defense budget, refuting claims that the KMT's proposed reduction of a special defense budget was a rejection of necessary arms procurement. She attributed the budget adjustments to domestic political factors and criticized the ruling party's proposal as "outrageous."
The most important message from the 'Zheng-Xi meeting' is peace; promoting cross-strait exchanges helps promote regional peace and stability.
Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.