5/09/2013
Department of International Affairs - Democratic Progressive Party
The DPP’s held
today its first China Affairs Committee Meeting. Chair Su Tseng-chang delivered
the meeting’s opening remarks. Also present were Committee Members Frank Hsieh
(Former Premier) You Shyi-kun (Former Premier); Tsai Ing-Wen (Former DPP
Chair); Ker Chian-ming (DPP Legislative Caucus Convener); Chen Chu (Greater
Kaohsiung Mayor); Lai Ching-teh (Greater Tainan Mayor); Chiu Yi-ren (Former
National Security Advisor); and Wu Nai-ren (Former DPP Secretary-General).
Below are the
remarks made by Chair Su Tseng-chang:
“This is the first
meeting held by the DPP’s China Affairs Committee. I would like to take this opportunity
to thank the members of the DPP Central Standing Committee for their approval
and to all the China Affairs Committee members for their willingness to participate.
This also includes the staff and other members for their involvement in the
preparation months before and leading to today.
“Sitting here
together today, the objective before us is very clear, and the responsibility
is immense. What we must do is to protect Taiwan’s core values, to develop the
best benefits for Taiwan, and we must also find the largest consensus for our
future in the cross straits. For a long period of time, China has placed Taiwan
in a very clear framework with a definite agenda, and they have set out step by
step to fulfill this plan. This has caused the China factor to enter and exert
greater influence on Taiwan. Facing China, we must enthusiastically build our
self-confidence, but facing up to China’s set agenda, Taiwan cannot afford to remain passive. We
must convert passiveness into initiative, and outside of China’s framework, we
must take the initiative and issue our own topics into an agenda that should be
Taiwan-focused. This must be done in order to reduce the interference and
influence that China has on Taiwan. We also wish to strengthen Taiwan’s space
for its own decision-making.
"As we have already held many preparations and discussions with experts and academics from different fields, leading to today's first meeting, we have issued a 'Taiwan's China Agenda'. This is a new type of framework and thinking involving: how to persist and make the Taiwan Dream a reality, how to open a new order for cross strait interaction and how to contribue to regional stability and peace. This is not something that can be accomplished by one person or political party alone. This requires that Taiwan entirely faces up to this serious issue.
“For this reason,
our goal in creating the China Affairs Committee is to provide a platform of dialogue
and understanding, inviting everyone to participate instead of limiting it to inside
the party only. We have also invited mayors and governors from cities and counties,
legislators and opinion leaders. We also wish to include the power of society
to engage the public in discussion in order to create the greatest force for
Taiwan to meet China and to welcome the rest of the world.
“Once again, I
would to express my deepest gratitude to everyone for their involvement in this
task.”
Executive Director
of the DPP’s Policy Research Committee, Dr. Joseph Jaushieh Wu said that in
order to combine the force of civic society, after seeking advice from a
multitude of sources, 37 experts have agreed to take part in the DPP’s China
Affairs Committee.
The additional
members of the Committee include:
Ÿ Professor Chen
Ming-tong (陳明通), National Taiwan University, Graduate Institute of National
Development;
Ÿ Research Fellow
Shih Jun-ji (施俊吉), Academia Sinica, Research Center for Humanities and
Social Sciences;
Ÿ Assistant
Professor Tsai Hung-Jeng (蔡宏政), National Sun Yat-Sen University, Department
of Sociology;
Ÿ Assistant
Professor York W. Chen (陳文政), Tamkang University Graduate
Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, who will also act as
the convener for the Political, Economic, Social and Security Group;
Ÿ Former Legislator
Lin Cho-shui (林濁水);
Ÿ Former Legislator
Chiu Tai-san (邱太三);
Ÿ Research Fellow
David W.F. Huang (黃偉峰) Academia Sinica, Institute of
European and American Studies;
Ÿ Associate
Professor Tung Li-Wen (董立文), Central Police University,
Department of Public Security;
Ÿ Lai I-chung (賴怡忠),
Taiwan Thinktank, Member of the Executive Committee;
Ÿ Distinguished
Professor Tung Chen-yuan (童振源), National Chengchi University, Graduate
Institute of Development Studies;
Ÿ Professor Chiou
Jiunn-Rong (邱俊榮), National Central University, Department of Economics;
Ÿ Professor Su
Jain-Rong (蘇建榮), National Taipei University, Department of Public Finance;
Ÿ Associate
Professor Tao Yi-feng (陶儀芬), National Taiwan University,
Department of Political Science;
Ÿ Professor Lee
Ming-Chun (李明峻), Taiwan Society of International Law, Secretary General;
Ÿ Associate
Professor Wu Chih-chung (吳志中), Soochow University, Department of Political
Science;
Ÿ Former Veteran
Affairs Commission Minister Hu Chen-pu (胡鎮埔);
Ÿ Professor Tsai
Ming-yen (蔡明彥), National Chung-Hsing University, Graduate Institute of
International Politics;
Ÿ Assistant
Professor Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正), National Quemoy University,
Department of International and Mainland China Affairs;
Ÿ Professor
Huang-chih Chiang (姜皇池), National Taiwan University, College
of Law; and
Ÿ Professor Ming-sho
Ho (何明修) National Taiwan University, Department of Sociology.
Spokesperson for the Committee, Mr. Cheng Wen-tsand said that among the 37 experts, their combined areas of knowledge include political, economic, financial, civic, international affairs, defense and human rights. He also added that in the group, the list also includes former government officials as well as Chinese nationals who are experts on China's political conditions and who are willing to provide their assistance in Taiwan's China policy formulation.
Director of the DPP’s China Affairs Department, Mr. Honigmann Hong said that the DPP did not release the full list of names because some participants were unwilling to have their names and positions be known to the public, but they were more than willing to provide their knowledge in China policy formulation.
Nevertheless, Mr.
Hong said that in the future, if there are new members added to the list, the DPP
will release them to the public upon permission by these members.
