[International] Representative Office in Thailand Condemns "Sun Yat-sen Lecture" as United Front Platform, Reviews Cooperation with Chinese Association
RtiTalk 小編2h ago
The Representative Office in Thailand issued a statement today (21st) condemning the Chinese Embassy in Thailand for interfering in the "Sun Yat-sen Lecture" held by the Thai Chinese Association on the 16th, using it as an opportunity to deliver united front and false narratives. The office also criticized a few individuals from the association for cooperating with the Chinese side, causing the lecture to deviate from tradition. It stated that necessary countermeasures will be taken depending on future developments.
The Representative Office in Thailand stated that the Chinese Association has organized the "Sun Yat-sen Lecture" for nearly 30 years, with the original intention of promoting free, democratic, and open academic and cultural exchange. In the past, representatives stationed abroad from both sides maintained a consensus and tacit understanding of mutual respect, attending but not speaking on stage.
However, this year's lecture, under the manipulation of a few individuals, not only deviated from historical tradition but also violated the association's board's recent consensus to "avoid political controversy" and the joint resolution for this year's lecture procedures.
The Thai Chinese Association was established in 1947, and the "Sun Yat-sen Lecture" has been held since 1993. Former President Ma Ying-jeou and former Kuomintang Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu served as keynote speakers in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
The official social media website of the Chinese Association stated that the "Sun Yat-sen Lecture" is "upholding the spirit of Sun Yat-sen's principle of universal love, dedicated to exploring cross-strait relations and the development of Chinese society." This year marks the 29th session, with the keynote speaker being Professor Xin Qiang from Fudan University, China.
The official website of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand stated that this year is the first time the "Sun Yat-sen Lecture" has invited the Chinese Ambassador to Thailand to attend and deliver a speech. Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Zhang Jianwei mentioned "upholding national righteousness and consolidating the consensus for unification" during his attendance.
The Representative Office in Thailand stated that it had communicated and coordinated with the association multiple times, reminding them of relevant matters, and received support from the majority of the association's board members. However, a few individuals still spread false information and undermined the board's consensus on the spot, severely damaging the mutual trust foundation that has been established between the two sides for a long time.
The statement pointed out that a few individuals, including the President of the Thai Chinese Association Chen Hongzhang, Honorary Life President Xu Jingqi, and Lecture Preparatory Committee Chairman Qiu Ye, "collaborated with the Chinese side, deviated from the lecture's tradition, and misled the public with false assurances and the dissemination of untrue remarks during the communication process with the Representative Office in Thailand," expressing their most severe condemnation.
The Representative Office in Thailand reiterated that the Republic of China (Taiwan) has never been the problem, but "China's diplomatic coercion and its refusal to abandon the use of force for unification are the root causes of disrupting regional peace." It emphasized that Thailand is a sovereign, independent, and democratic country, and the Thai-Chinese community and Taiwanese community in Thailand are by no means targets that the Chinese government can arbitrarily mobilize politically.
The Representative Office in Thailand called on the Chinese Embassy in Thailand to exercise restraint and expressed strong protest and stern condemnation against its political manipulation of the "Sun Yat-sen Lecture" for united front purposes.
The Representative Office in Thailand stated that in view of the Thai Chinese Association allowing the lecture to become a united front platform, it will immediately conduct a comprehensive review and re-evaluation of all future cooperation plans and support resources with the association. Regarding the actions of a few individuals from the association who insisted on damaging the tradition of the "Sun Yat-sen Lecture" and harming the friendship between the two sides, the office will take necessary countermeasures depending on future developments.
The Representative Office in Thailand hopes that the Chinese Association will quickly return to the "spirit of Sun Yat-sen" and the original intention of establishing the lecture, implement the majority resolutions of the board, and avoid damaging the years-long friendship due to manipulation by a few people. The office will continue to cooperate with Thai-Chinese community organizations to promote Taiwan-Thailand exchanges. (Editor: Song Wanyuan)
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=227647
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