Beijing condemns Taiwan probe into tiny pro-China opposition party
BEIJING/TAIPEI: China has condemned a Taiwan government probe into a tiny but passionately pro-China opposition party.
Taiwanese investigators searched the homes of four officials from the New Party, which has no members of parliament, on Tuesday on suspicion they had violated the National Security Act.
A New Party delegation, including at least one of those whose homes was raided, party spokesman Wang Ping-chung, visited China last week as part of a scheduled trip to meet China's policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office.
The New Party denounced the raids as politically motivated and retribution for their opposition to Taiwan independence and support for union with China.
Taiwanese prosecutors and the government have not given details of what the party members are suspected of.
In a statement released on Tuesday, China's Taiwan Affairs Office praised the New Party for its stance in opposing Taiwan independence and upholding the "one China" principle, which states that Taiwan is part of China.
Relations between China and Taiwan have soured since Ms Tsai Ing-wen of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party won presidential elections last year as China suspects she wants to push for Taiwan's formal independence. - REUTERS
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