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ARATS boss’ media breakfast criticized
GIVING INDIGESTION: Chen Deming’s meeting with several media executives was criticized as using a Chinese government propaganda tactic and labeled ‘insulting’
By Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter
China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits Chairman Chen Deming holds a breakfast meeting with Taiwanese media executives on Wednesday in Taipei.
Photo: Screengrab from Storm Media Group’s Web site
Economic Democracy Union convener Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強) yesterday criticized China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) Chairman Chen Deming (陳德銘) for “summoning” Taiwanese media executives to a breakfast meeting on Wednesday, saying that Chen had “trampled on Taiwan’s press freedom.”
Chen met with media executives from print, TV and online media outlets to discuss the possible effects of a China-South Korea free-trade agreement and how Beijing’s proposed Free-Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) group could promote the integration of the Asia-Pacific region’s economy.
A report by the Chinese-language Next Magazine said that executives at the breakfast included the president of CtiTV (中天), the managing director of SET-TV (三立), the deputy executive editor of Formosa Television (FTV, 民視), the managing director of Eastern Broadcasting Television (東森), the director of TVBS’ news department, the chairman of the Want Daily, the chairman of the Economic Daily News, the chief director of the United Daily News, the deputy editor in chief of Central News Agency, the chairman of ETtoday online media and the chief writer of Storm Media Group.
According to a report by Storm Media, Chen told the executives that the Nov. 29 elections would have no bearing on cross-strait relations and policies, and that agreements signed in 10 cross-strait meetings since 2008 have proven beneficial to and met the expectations of the public on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
“What we could give South Korea [in the trade pact], Taiwan would have too, but could Taiwan give us what South Korea has offered to us?,” Storm Media quoted Chen as asking.
He was referring to the opening of China and South Korea’s telecommunication and financial services sectors within two years.
The next two years would be crucial years for Taiwan, Chen was quoted as saying, saying that major political events would be taking place during that time.
The ARATS chairman said he was worried that the cross-strait service trade agreement would remain stalled in the legislature amid efforts for future pacts to be covered by an oversight mechanism that has yet to be established.
Chen asked the executives if they thought the oversight mechanism bill could be passed before 2016 and whether the trade in goods pact would have to be placed under its supervision as well.
“We would not want another Moonflower movement,” said Chen according to the report, referring to the Sunflower movement protests in March in Taipei against the way Taiwan’s government has handled cross-strait trade negotiations.
Lai said Chen meeting media executives in a private setting — with the intention of influencing media reports — instead of holding a public press conference was “a tactic used by the Chinese government’s Central Propaganda Department.”
“Chen has moved the tactic of ‘unifying media reporting’ to Taiwan. It is an insult to Taiwan’s free press and it is regretful that some of Taiwan’s media have played along,” the activist lawyer said.
Lai said China could negotiate for better deals during trade talks, but “it has no right to interfere in Taiwan’s domestic affairs by having a say in the interaction between Taiwan’s legislature and the executive department and how the oversight mechanism should be established.”
The ARATS chairman yesterday visited the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation in Hualien County.
source: Taipei Times
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