President Ma Ying-jeou says the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) must clarify its stance on cross-strait exchanges. He was speaking on Monday ahead of his departure for Central America.
The president followed on the heels of violent protests that marred a visit to Taiwan by China’s top Taiwan policymaker Zhang Zhijun. Zhang cut short his trip to Taiwan after scuffles broke out between protesters and some members of his security detail on Sunday. Many of the protesters support opposition parties, of which the DPP is the largest.
Ma condemned the violence against the visiting official, saying that DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen must not skirt the issue.
“We are a diverse and democratic society with freedom of assembly and demonstration," said Ma. "However, violence is not tolerated. I hope Chairwoman Tsai will face the violent protests rather than avoiding it, ignoring it or being hypocritical.”
Ma said it’s baffling that the DPP says it is open to visits by Chinese officials, and yet civic groups linked to the DPP have staged violent protests during Zhang’s visit.
Ma said the DPP must clarify its stance on cross-strait exchanges if it is willing to engage China.