TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — DPP Legislator Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) on Thursday criticized the use of government-linked funding to cover the cost of KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) trip to China, where she met Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The KMT delegation’s costs, including airfare, lodging, meals, and allowances, totaled about NT$4.8 million (US$152,000) and were covered through subsidies applied for from the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, per Newtalk. The foundation was established with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is chaired by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), effectively meaning the trip drew on state funds.
Wu blasted the move as a serious violation of the foundation’s mission and sarcastically suggested it should be renamed the “Anti-Democracy Foundation.” She said its charter requires cooperation with global democratic forces to expand Taiwan’s international space.
However, she accused the KMT of using taxpayer money to fund exchanges with China, “accepting United Front influence and praising an authoritarian regime,” Newtalk reported. She added that the delegation’s actions served Beijing’s efforts to suppress Taiwan internationally, calling it a betrayal of the foundation’s purpose.
Wu questioned why the KMT sought subsidies not only for flights and hotels but also for travel within China and gift expenses, asking, “Is the KMT really that cash-strapped?” She noted that while the 2005 meeting between then-KMT Chair Lien Chan (連戰) and former Chinese leader Hu Jintao featured red-carpet treatment and official cars, Cheng’s delegation reportedly traveled by tour bus yet still requested government funding.
Wu also noted that in 2022, the foundation was sanctioned by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office after helping facilitate then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. She criticized the KMT for now applying to the same foundation for subsidies to travel to China and “praising an authoritarian regime,” calling the move “shameless,” according to Newtalk.
The lawmaker said she reviewed Cheng’s remarks during her meeting with Xi and found no mention of the “Republic of China,” nor of “democracy, human rights, or freedom.” Wu said it was “a huge irony” to receive funding from a democracy-focused foundation while failing to express those values.
She accused the foundation of being turned into a funding source for “United Front pilgrimage tours” and urged Han to clarify whether he supports the use of state funds for such purposes. She also called for a legislative review of the foundation’s spending to determine whether subsidies have been used for exchanges with non-democratic countries or activities contrary to democratic values.
