Gov't to probe China Times role in Beijing event; newspaper defends position

Taipei, June 2 (CNA) China Times, one of the three largest newspapers in Taiwan, on Sunday urged the Taiwan government to "uphold the Constitution," after the latter threatened to investigate the daily for allegedly echoing Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda.

In a press release earlier Sunday, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) accused the Want Want China Times Media Group, which owns the Chinese-language China Times newspaper, of participating in a CCP-led united front campaign during the recent Cross-Strait Chinese Culture Summit in Beijing.

The MAC, which supervises Taiwan's cross-strait policy, said the remarks made by the Want Want Group executives at the summit aligned with Beijing's political messaging and were harmful to Taiwan's national sovereignty and interests.

The government will review the statements to determine whether they were in violation of the law that prohibits unauthorized collaboration with China's political, military, or administrative bodies, the MAC said, citing Article 33-1 of the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area.

In response, China Times issued a press release later Sunday in defense of its stance, citing that same law and the Constitution.

"According to the Constitution and the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, Taiwan and the Mainland both belong to one China. Taiwanese are Chinese," the China-friendly newspaper said.

"This has always been our position," it said. "We urge everyone to uphold and safeguard the Constitution, and to work together for cross-strait peace and the future of Taiwan."

The controversy stemmed from comments made by Want Want Group General Manager Tsai Wang-ting (蔡旺庭) at the culture summit in Beijing on May 28, when he referred to China as the "motherland," Taiwan as "China Taiwan," and highlighted the common cultural and historical roots of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

"We are Chinese," Tsai said at the event. "We are grateful for all kinds of support from our motherland and the benefits of its market development."

The MAC strongly condemned his remarks, saying they were damaging to Taiwan's sovereignty.

The Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent nation and has never been part of the People's Republic of China, the MAC said.

Commenting on the issue, Tzeng Wei-feng (曾偉峯), an associate research fellow at National Chengchi University's Institute of International Relations, said that while comments like Tsai's may once have been viewed as personal political expressions, the current Taiwanese government now interprets them as part of China's broader united front strategy.

He said that Tsai's use of terms like "motherland" and "China Taiwan" might have drawn the Taiwanese government's attention.

President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) administration has taken a more assertive stance on managing cross-strait exchanges, with a particular focus on countering cognitive warfare, and it believes that failure to push back against such remarks could send the wrong message, Tzeng told CNA.

Tzeng said that Taiwanese businesses operating in China will likely need to be more cautious about expressing political views in the future, as cross-strait issues are becoming increasingly sensitive.

He cautioned, however, that proving legal violations, such as unauthorized collaboration with Chinese authorities, could be a complex process that would require substantial evidence before penalties could be imposed.