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KMT vice chairman resigns from Taiwan city advisory role during China visit

Even KMT politicians blast Andrew Hsia's visit for bad timing

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KMT Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia (center) embarking on his trip to China Wednesday. 

KMT Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia (center) embarking on his trip to China Wednesday.  (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kuomintang (KMT) Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia (夏立言) resigned from his post as advisor to Taichung City Government after going ahead with his controversial visit to China, reports said Saturday (Aug. 13).

News of the trip leaked the day before his departure Wednesday (Aug. 10), provoking a storm of protest even from KMT politicians, as it came while China was still conducting large-scale military maneuvers close to Taiwan.

Hsia and the party leadership said the aim of the Aug. 10-27 trip was to exchange views with Taiwanese business people working in China. High-level contacts with Chinese officials were said to be less likely.

He served as a member of the KMT-ruled Taichung City’s committee for international affairs and as a city government advisor, but resigned from those positions Friday (Aug. 12), CNA reported. The city said it respected his wishes and thanked him for his efforts on behalf of Taichung.

Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), who is running for re-election in November, said Hsia’s trip to China was bad timing and increased “complications.” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members of the Taichung City Council have demanded she oust Hsia from his advisory roles.

When he left for China on Wednesday, Hsia told reporters the trip had been planned months in advance, and he had not taken the Nov. 26 local elections into consideration.