Mayor Chen brushes off praise for Ma remark

Chen declined to comment on the praise showered on her by both the ruling and opposition camps over the courage she displayed in making remarks to assert Taiwan's sovereignty, saying Taiwan is a “multifarious” society.

During a meeting with Chinese officials in Beijing on Thursday, Chen referred to Ma Ying-jeou as “the president of our central government” — a taboo in China, which denies Taiwan's status as a sovereign country.

Her Democratic Progressive Party fellows and rivals from the ruling Kuomintang have both lauded her for the remarks.

But she stressed that her only aim concerning the World Games is to make sure that the international sports event will be safe and successful.

She was addressing China's concerns that its athletes might be targeted by hostile supporters of Taiwan independence during their stay in Taiwan.

Chen, who arrived in Beijing Thursday for the World Games promotion, left the Chinese capital yesterday for Shanghai.

In Taiwan, DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen also played down the political implications of Chen's trip.

Chen's trip is meant to promote the sports event and has nothing to do with political issues concerning cross-strait relations, although some pro-independence heavyweights have applauded Chen, Tsai said.

The DPP Central Standing Committee will hear a report from the Kaohsiung mayor when she returns from China, the party chief said.

The DPP will continue to assess the issues surrounding trips to China by its members, Tsai said.

The DPP will eventually come up with a set of principles for handling such trips, she added.

Chen's trip sparked controversies before her departure due to her heavyweight status within the pro-independence camp, with many from the DPP ranks criticizing her and worrying about the possibility of her kowtowing to China.

The timing is also sensitive, as the DPP is vehemently condemning the Ma administration's pro-China line.

But Chen's “President Ma” remark has won her critics over.

Even former DPP Legislator Lin Cho-shui, a major figure in advocating Taiwan's independence, has described Chen's trip as a wake-up call for the opposition party to rethink its China approach.

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