The Kuomintang is holding its presidential primary. Former KMT Chair Hung Hsiu-chu has been invited to visit Beijing on May 12. This is the first publicly announced visit to China by a Taiwan politician since "Xi's five points" were announced in January. Hung's itinerary includes exchanges on cross-strait relations and ethnic future. The Mainland Affairs Council urged Hung to reflect "mainstream" Taiwanese opinion and avoid falling into the Chinese Communists' unification promotion trap.


In her capacity as Chinese Cyan Geese Peace Education Foundation chair, former Kuomintang Chair Hung Hsiu-chu will lead a 70-member delegation on a four-day visit to Beijing on May 12. This will be the first publicly disclosed visit to China by a Taiwanese politician since Xi Jinping laid out five principles for managing cross-strait relations in January. The two sides will conduct an exchange on issues including cross-strait relations and the future of the ethnic Chinese people.

We will express the political sentiments of various groups in Taiwan. We will sit down with them to exchange opinions and communicate with them. In this way, we can resolve misunderstandings arising from the long-term lack of official cross-strait dialogue.

Hung, who has advocated "one China" in the past, attended a Taiwan Straits forum in China when she was KMT chair. Many are wondering if she will meet with Xi Jinping a second time during the upcoming trip. The Mainland Affairs Council says the government encourages "normal" exchanges but opposes the Chinese Communists politically manipulating exchanges.

The council reminds politicians traveling to China to follow all relevant cross-strait regulations and keep in mind social opinion and the fact that the international community is watching and listening. They should also only espouse mainstream Taiwanese public opinion and refrain from falling into the Chinese Communists' unification promotion trap.

The council says there can be no real democratic discussions with authoritarian regimes and no one in Taiwan should harbor any illusions or unreal expectations. Both ruling and opposition lawmakers also expressed their thoughts on Hung's trip.

I believe she will express her personal concerns on cross-strait relations in no uncertain terms.

Is she going to go along with the "one China principle" under the "one China, two systems" concept that is part of "Xi's five principles," or is she going to clarify the "one China, two interpretations" concept that is part of the Kuomintang's 1992 Consensus? I think Hung Hsiu-chu is an experienced civic representative and politician and I hope she can keep a clear head.

Under new revisions to the Classified National Security Information Protection Act, former President Ma Ying-jeou and KMT Chair Wu Den-yih have been barred from traveling to China this year. With the KMT in the midst of its presidential primary, Hung's every move in Beijing will no doubt be under close scrutiny.



國民黨前主席洪秀柱，應中國邀請，將以中華青雁和平教育基金會董事長身分，5月12日率領台灣民間各界代表70多人，前往中國北京，進行為期4天的參訪，這也是中國今年元月推出習五條以來，首次公開宣布邀請的台灣政治人物，雙方將就兩岸關係與中華民族未來進行溝通探討。

國民黨前主席 洪秀柱表示：「會充分的來表達我們台灣，各行各業各界有些在政治的議題上面，我們的一些認知，跟他們坐下來，大家互相交換一些意見，互相溝通，也避免兩岸之間的，因為長期不來往，官方的長期不來往，造成的互相的誤解。」

由於洪秀柱曾多次主張一中同表，也曾以國民黨主席身分，前往中國參加海峽論壇，訪問北京期間，是否與中國國家主席習近平會面，進行第二次的洪習會，備受關注，陸委會強調，政府鼓勵正常交流，但反對中共將政治操作的手，伸入交流之中。

陸委會發言人 邱垂正(108.5.9)表示：「本會提醒政治人物赴陸，應遵守兩岸相關的規範，並考量社會觀感與國際視聽，及反映台灣主流民意，避免落入中共對台的促統布局。」

陸委會認為，專制政權不可能有真正的民主協商，呼籲台灣各界，不要有不切實際的幻想與期待，藍綠兩黨立委對洪秀柱的北京行，則有不同看法。

國民黨立委 蔣萬安表示：「我認為她一定會很清楚的，表達她個人對兩岸關係的關心。」

民進黨立委 王定宇表示：「她是要去附和習五條，一國兩制下的一中原則，還是要去闡明中國國民黨的九二共識，是有一中各表的，我覺得洪秀柱，是一個資深的民意代表政治人物，我真的希望她想清楚。」

因為國家機密法修法，前總統馬英九與國民黨主席吳敦義今年若是想訪問中國，恐怕難以成行，再加上正值國民黨初選紛擾之際，洪秀柱在北京的一舉一動，格外敏感。