Beijing's top negotiator unruffled by threats of Taiwan protests
Kicking off his first visit as cross-straits envoy, Chen Deming bats down safety concerns and says he is 'psychologically prepared' for dissent
Beijing’s top negotiator with Taiwan said he was not worried about possible protests during his eight-day visit, which starts today, amid territorial tensions triggered by Beijing’s declaration of an air defence zone that overlaps the disputed Diaoyu Islands.
“I believe [my visit] will be safe and I think there will not be any big problem [that would harm] my dignity,” Chen Deming said yesterday, according to a Taiwan Central News Agency report.
He was commenting on the protests that usually hound senior mainland officials, including his predecessor Chen Yunlin, on visits to Taiwan.
“Taiwanese friends told me that under the system in Taiwan, the ways they express their opinions are very healthy,” Chen Deming said.
“I will listen to different voices; I am [psychologically] prepared,” he said.
Chen is leading a trade delegation on a tour to nine cities and counties around Taiwan, according to Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).