Tsai made the remarks at a press conference when asked by reporters to comment on the fact that former agriculture minister Fan Chen-tzung, of the DPP, and former DPP lawmaker Hsu Jung-shu are facing expulsion from the party after attending a forum in China, organized by the Kuomintang (KMT) and Chinese Communist Party. Tsai was denounced as having double standards because two of her relatives do business in China, but they are not facing punishment. Both Fan and Hsu returned to Taiwan on Sunday.

Tsai told reporters that both Fan and Hsu have run counter to the stance and resolution of the party by attending the forum on cross-strait economic and cultural exchanges, because party members have been prohibited from attending the event based on a resolution made by the Central Standing Committee of the DPP. Accordingly, both Fan and Hsu should be subject to the disciplinary regulations of the DPP.

The DPP chairwoman continued that the DPP isn't opposed to exchanges across the Taiwan Strait, and even the DPP intends to steer meaningful exchanges in such fields as political freedom, human rights and democratic development. The DPP strongly opposes exchanges on a “united front” basis.

Tsai urged Beijing authorities not to use Fan and Hsu as tools to carry out its “united front” schemes, adding that such a practice can't work to disunite the DPP.