GIO will not interfere with media plan to interview Chinese leaders

Meanwhile, RTI director Wang Tan-ping said the radio station has set aside budget for interviewing Chinese leaders since 2006 when the DPP was in power.

Noting that RTI's audience is composed not only of Chinese citizens but also many foreign nationals, Wang said such interviews will help expand dialogue channels across the Taiwan Strait and simultaneously help foreign audiences better understand the development of cross-strait relations from Taiwan's perspective.

Touching on concern about the possible impact on national security of the government's recent relaxation on Chinese journalists' activities in Taiwan, GIO Minister Su said his office will review the situation when the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) convenes across-agency meeting on relevant issues.

In the past, Chinese journalists were required to report to the GIO when they wanted to cover news in Taiwanese cities other than Taipei. The government removed this restriction recently, allowing Chinese journalists to travel freely around Taiwan for news coverage, as well as increasing from two to five the maximum number of journalists each Chinese media outlet is allowed to post in Taiwan.

According to critics, such liberalization measures might jeopardize national security, but Su said the MAC and national security agencies carefully evaluated the pros and cons before implementing the new rules.

Asked how the government will react if Chinese spies come to Taiwan in the guise of journalists, Su said relevant management mechanisms must be updated to cope with the changing cross-strait situation and the increasingly liberalized regulations on cross-strait engagements.

"We will convey the lawmakers' concerns at MAC-organized interministerial meetings on relevant topics, " Su told the legislature.

1|2

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email