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TAIPEI: Taiwan’s incoming premier sprang a surprise
Monday by naming a pro-independence politician to head its China
policy-making body, raising concerns over the government’s vow to
improve ties.
Liu Chao-shiuan, who officially
takes the premiership next month, defended his decision to ask Lai
Shin-yuan to lead the Mainland Affairs Council, saying she agreed
with the incoming government’s policy on China.
Lai is a former legislator of the
Taiwan Solidarity Union, which supports independence from the
mainland.
Incoming president Ma Ying-jeou,
in contrast, has pledged to expand trade, tourism and transport
links and work on a peace treaty to end the decades of hostility
between the two sides.
Taiwan and China split in 1949
after a civil war, but Beijing still regards the island as part of
its territory and has threatened an invasion should it declare
independence.
Liu played down concern over
Lai’s politics, saying “in principle, Lai agrees with Ma’s
China policy and would like to implement it.”
Lai herself insisted she would
strive “to sustain the status quo” and obey Ma’s principles of
“no reunification, no independence and no use of force.”
But there was criticism from Chiu
Yi, a lawmaker with the Kuomintang party of president-elect Ma.
--AFP
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