Strait Forum Ban: Chiu Chui-cheng Opposes Exchanges with United Front Tasks

The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has issued a ban on participation in the China-hosted Strait Forum, prohibiting central government agencies and, for the first time, local government personnel from attending. MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng reiterated on the 9th that cross-strait exchanges need to be healthy and orderly, but he opposes exchanges with united front tasks and political risks.

Chiu made the remarks during a noon interview with online program host Huang Guangqin.

During the interview, Chiu stated that while central and local government personnel are banned from attending the Strait Forum, political parties like the Kuomintang (KMT) are not prohibited from participating. He emphasized that the Strait Forum is essentially a Chinese Communist Party platform for united front work against Taiwan. Through cross-strait exchanges, China continues to intensify its efforts to "promote integration and promote unification." Taiwan must guard against China using the forum to carry out united front work and sow division.

Chiu noted that the Ma Ying-jeou administration also banned central government officials from attending the Strait Forum and prohibited related activities from being held in Taiwan. Previous administrations held a position of "not welcoming" and "not recommending" local government personnel attendance. Last year, only a very small number of local government representatives attended. Building on last year's policy, this year's ban on local government personnel has been further formalized.

Chiu said the Strait Forum is a large-scale united front platform by China against Taiwan, where equal and dignified cross-strait exchanges cannot be seen. On one hand, China promotes "anti-independence and anti-intervention," exerting compound pressure on Taiwan through military aircraft and vessel activities around the island. On the other hand, it seeks to infiltrate and divide Taiwan through exchanges, integration, and development.

"We cannot just stand by and watch (China) use civilian exchanges as a cover. This is a united front platform. We hope cross-strait exchanges can proceed in a healthy and orderly manner; this cannot be considered healthy," Chiu said.

Chiu emphasized that Taiwan does not need the united front platform deliberately built by China, nor should it allow infiltration and division of Taiwanese society through such exchanges. Taiwan needs cross-strait exchanges, but they must be equal, dignified, healthy, and orderly. He opposes exchanges with united front tasks and political risks. Taiwan needs professional, pure exchanges that are de-united front, de-risked, and de-politicized.