KMT refutes claims of playing China's anthem, flying flag at LA event

The Kuomintang (KMT) has strongly refuted claims that its event in Los Angeles featured the Chinese national anthem and the Five-Starred Red Flag. Chen Yi-hsin, the KMT's Culture and Communications Committee Chairman, issued a firm denial, stating that the activity was not organized by the KMT's Southwest branch and that no party officials were present.

"After investigation, this event was absolutely not organized by the KMT's Southwest branch, nor did any party officials participate. The media report is clearly mistaken, and the KMT demands immediate correction and a public apology," Chen stated. He suggested the event might have been organized by an entity related to the Flying Tigers, an American volunteer flying group, and had no connection to the KMT's overseas units.

Chen Yi-hsin criticized the media outlets that reported the allegations, accusing them of using unverified online information and videos from unknown sources. He argued that these reports, without confirming with the KMT headquarters or its Southwest branch, falsely attributed the event to the KMT, thereby seriously misleading the public.

The KMT official condemned the reporting as a smear campaign, emphasizing that a fundamental responsibility of media is verification. "The media's most basic responsibility is verification, yet related media outlets used information from unknown sources as news, treating unverified accusations as fact. They didn't even clarify the organizer before using sensational headlines to smear the KMT, disregarding journalistic ethics, which is despicable," Chen Yi-hsin declared. The party insists the accusations are baseless and damaging.