Taipei Times

By Fu Chao-piao, Tsai Cheng-min and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writer

Miaoli County Commissioner Liu Cheng-hung’s (劉政鴻) comments during a ceremony with Chinese officials from Jiangxi Province to finalize a deal on academic, cultural and agricultural interaction have been slammed by netizens and Academia Sinica researcher Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) as “disgraceful” and pandering to the Chinese delegation.

Liu said he had been “worried Typhoon Matmo would affect the ceremony, and could not sleep from worry over potential damage from the storm, but thanks to the presence of [Chinese Communist Party chief of Jiangxi Province] Qiang Wei (強衛) and his entourage we have seen minimal wind and rain.”

Huang lashed out on Facebook over Liu’s comments.

“It is not surprising to see two thugs [of] Human Rights [abuse] enjoying each other’s company,” Huang wrote.

Numerous netizens also lambasted Liu’s comments and called them “disgusting.”
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers also criticized Liu’s comments, a report by the Chinese-language Apple Daily said.

DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) said she felt “quite uncomfortable” reading the comments, adding that the typhoon causing minimal damage was a blessing for Taiwanese and had nothing to do with the Jiangxi officials.
DPP Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) said there was no reason to flatter Chinese officials to such a degree.

Meanwhile, Falun Gong members gathered outside the restaurant in protest against Beijing.

Members said Qiang had been part of the oppression the Chinese government had launched against the organization during former Chinese president Jiang Zemin’s (江澤民) time in office.

The Falun Gong members said they would continue to spread their ideals and called on Qiang to convey to Beijing their appeals to cease oppression of the movement in China.

Original article