Taiwan says China using cultural summits for 'lectures,' not exchanges

Taipei, May 28 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Wednesday criticized China for holding two summits for Taiwanese participants later this week to "lecture" them rather than promote genuine cross-Taiwan Strait exchanges.

The two upcoming summits are being "held under the pretext of cultural and media exchanges to summon Taiwanese media and cultural figures to Beijing to lecture and instruct them," the MAC said in a statement issued Tuesday evening.

The events do not reflect the spirit of genuine cross-strait cultural and educational exchanges and "are not welcomed by the [Taiwanese] government," the MAC said.

"The Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) use of various forms of exchanges as instruments of united front work does nothing to narrow differences across the Taiwan Strait and will not gain the recognition of Taiwanese society," the council said.

The two summits referred to by the MAC are the second Cross-Strait Chinese Culture Summit and the sixth Cross-Strait Media Summit, set to open in Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

Before the events officially opened, a Taiwanese delegation of around 30 people, including former Kuomintang Chairperson Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), was received on Tuesday by Wang Huning (王滬寧), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing.

Wang said at the reception that Chinese culture is "the root and soul of the Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait," and called for efforts to "unite and strive for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

"Efforts should be made to promote Chinese cultural exchanges, enhance cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation across all sectors, and foster deeper spiritual alignment between compatriots on both sides," the report quoted Wang as saying.

In response, Hung said that Chinese culture has a long and rich history, and that both sides of the Strait "belong to one China," with people on both sides being "all Chinese."

Apart from Hung, the Taiwanese delegation included figures such as Tsai Eng-meng (蔡衍明), founder of Want Want China Times Media Group, singer Chyi Yu (齊豫), and lyricist Vincent Fang (方文山) -- who is best known for his long-time collaboration with pop star Jay Chou (周杰倫).