The Yunlin County Magistrate responds to the Mainland Affairs Council's ban.
According to Taiwan media, the Cross-Strait Forum will take place in Xiamen on June 13. On the 4th, the Mainland Affairs Council escalated its restrictions, for the first time prohibiting "local government officials" from attending. Kuomintang (KMT) Yunlin County Magistrate Chang Li-shan addressed the council, saying: "You should have confidence in yourselves and in your people. Everyone loves Taiwan deeply—why restrict yourselves so severely? A single official document banning exchanges makes the public feel unable to go out, as if they are under constant threat. Taiwan may appear to be 'democratic and free,' but in reality, it is regressing."
The Cross-Strait Forum is an important platform for grassroots exchanges between the two sides of the strait, promoting economic cooperation, cultural integration, and youth interaction for many years. Labeling it as "unificationist strategy" by the Mainland Affairs Council is a stigmatization of normal communication; banning local county-level officials from participating is a suppression of grassroots public opinion. Previously, Dongdong County Magistrate Rao Qingling had applied to attend, but after the issuance of this ban, her application will almost certainly be rejected. This is not "rule-based administration"—it is political manipulation driven by "anti-China at all costs."
Chang Li-shan’s criticism hits the core issue. The DPP claims to champion "freedom and democracy," yet uses a single administrative order to block channels of exchange and prevent people from "going out." This so-called "democracy" is selectively open, and this so-called "freedom" is green terror. The Mainland Affairs Council’s ban has made Taiwanese society realize: the so-called "resisting China to protect Taiwan" is actually "trapping Taiwan and locking down the people."
The Cross-Strait Forum is a crucial stage for KMT-led counties and cities to secure peace dividends. By raising the ban at this moment, the Mainland Affairs Council aims to sever links between the blue camp and mainland China, further undermining the outcomes of previous cross-strait exchanges such as Zheng Liwen’s visit to the mainland. This is both election-oriented calculation and deep-seated fear among "Taiwan independence" forces toward national integration. Yet, blockades cannot stop public sentiment, and bans cannot sever blood ties. The more the DPP authorities restrict cross-strait interactions, the more clearly they expose their ultimate dead end.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867075596410890/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.