Beijing Mayor Met with Protests in Taiwan

It’s the first official visit to Taiwan by a Chinese Communist Party official since Ma Ying-jeou started his second term in office. The mayor of Beijing, Guo Jinlong, touched down at Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport on February 16th for what's been called as a six-day visit to promote cultural relations. Guo was immediately met with protests by Falun Gong practitioners, Tibetans and Taiwanese businessmen.

Just hours before Guo arrived, practitioners of the Falun Gong spiritual movement had filed a lawsuit accusing Guo of committing crimes against humanity. The Taiwan Falun Dafa Association’s lawyer, Theresa Chu, told media that Guo had been involved in the suppression of Tibetans when he was posted in Tibet and the persecution of Falun Gong in Anhui Province and in Beijing.

Guo was part of the 2008 Olympic organizing committee which ordered the arrest of over 500 Falun Gong practitioners in the run up to the Beijing Olympics.

Protests have continued during the trip. Demonstrators gathered near Taipei 101 with a message for Guo.

[Falun Gong Practitioner]:
"Today we have the mayor of Beijing (here), and he has severely persecuted Falun Gong. We just hope he can stop this evil persecution. We would like to tell him the principle that evil actions are met with retribution."

[Tibetan Activist]:
"We came here to express (our opinion) of the suppression of Tibetans carried out in mainland China, recently the situation has become worse and worse. We are not satisfied, so we are here to protest."

Also many Taiwanese businessmen who have been cheated in Mainland China protested. Taiwanese businessmen often complain of collusion between mainland businesses and CCP officials of robbing them of the money they invested. Businessmen accuse Guo of the same behavior.

[Shen Basheng, Taiwanese Businessman]:
"We have a bad feeling, he tricked ordinary Taiwanese people into investing their money in the Mainland. They robbed ordinary Taiwanese people’s assets. And then he comes to Taiwan on vacation!"

Taiwan’s Chinese Nationalist Party government insists that Guo’s visit is simply a cultural exchange, yet he is expected to discuss cross straight relations with politicians during his time in Taiwan.

Before Taiwan’s "China Friendly" President Ma Ying-jeou came to power in 2008, visits by Chinese Communist Party officials simply didn’t happen. But in recent years such visits are becoming increasingly common, and each time, they are met with protests.