The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) says Beijing should listen to the real voice of Taiwan.
DPP spokesman Huang Di-ying made the comments on Sunday. His remarks came after Tainan Mayor William Lai, who is also a DPP member, spoke about the party’s Taiwan independence platform in China.
During his visit to China, Lai said on Saturday that Beijing’s opposition to the DPP’s Taiwan independence platform would not help reconcile the differences between Taiwan and China. He also said the party’s pro-independence narratives represent the ideas of many in Taiwan.
China sees Taiwan as part of its territory, even though the two sides have been ruled separately for more than 60 years. Beijing also threatens to take Taiwan by force if it declares formal independence.
The DPP spokesman said that Taiwan is a democracy, and that Lai’s position is nothing unusual in Taiwan. He also said the DPP hopes that Taiwan and China would come to understand and respect each other through meaningful dialogue.