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Chinese Activist, in Taiwan, Praises its Democracy Chinese Activist Praises Taiwan’s Democracy
(about 11 hours later)
TAIPEI — Chen Guangcheng, the legal activist who left China with his family amid a diplomatic crisis last year, praised Taiwanese democracy on Monday while refusing to talk about controversies in the United States. TAIPEI, Taiwan — Chen Guangcheng, the legal activist who left China with his family amid a diplomatic crisis last year, praised Taiwanese democracy on Monday while refusing to talk about controversies in the United States.
At a news conference in Taipei to start his 18-day visit to Taiwan, Mr. Chen avoided discussing his recent allegation that New York University, which has hosted him for the past year, had been pressured by China to remove him, or the university's assertion that one of Mr. Chen's supporters in the United States had given him electronic equipment with spyware installed. At a news conference in Taipei to start his 18-day visit to Taiwan, Mr. Chen avoided discussing his recent allegation that New York University, which has hosted him for the past year, had been pressured by China to remove him, or the university’s assertion that one of Mr. Chen’s supporters in the United States had given him electronic equipment with spyware installed.
New York University is establishing a campus in Shanghai and has important exchanges of students and faculty with China, any of which could be jeopardized if the Chinese authorities wanted to retaliate. The university has denied that Mr. Chen’s planned departure was the result of Chinese interference.New York University is establishing a campus in Shanghai and has important exchanges of students and faculty with China, any of which could be jeopardized if the Chinese authorities wanted to retaliate. The university has denied that Mr. Chen’s planned departure was the result of Chinese interference.
Mr. Chen has not provided details of his claims that the university was pressured. “I have nothing to add,” Mr. Chen said when asked Monday about his earlier claims. “Now that I’m in Taiwan let’s focus on Taiwan and its democracy.” Mr. Chen has not provided details of his claims that the university was pressured.
Bob Fu, founder of ChinaAid, a nongovernmental organization supporting Chinese Christians and a longtime ally of Mr. Chen's, said that American universities were desperate for opportunities in China and thus wary of hosting dissidents who might anger the country's Communist Party leadership. “I have nothing to add,” Mr. Chen said when asked Monday about his earlier claims. “Now that I’m in Taiwan, let’s focus on Taiwan and its democracy.”
Last week, Mr. Fu was at the center of another twist in Mr. Chen's saga, when New York University said that an iPad and iPhone given to the activist and his family by ChinaAid had spyware installed that would allow outside parties to track their movements and use. Mr. Fu denied knowledge of the monitoring software and said he wanted as much as anyone to learn its origin. Bob Fu, founder of ChinaAid, a nongovernmental organization supporting Chinese Christians and a longtime ally of Mr. Chen’s, said American universities were desperate for opportunities in China and thus wary of hosting dissidents who might anger the country’s Communist Party leadership.
Last week, Mr. Fu was at the center of another twist in Mr. Chen’s saga when New York University said an iPad and iPhone given to the activist and his family by ChinaAid had spyware installed that would allow outside parties to track their movements and use. Mr. Fu denied knowledge of the monitoring software and said he wanted as much as anyone to learn its origin.
Asked about those allegations Monday, Mr. Chen said, “I’m not a computer expert, so I can’t answer your question.”Asked about those allegations Monday, Mr. Chen said, “I’m not a computer expert, so I can’t answer your question.”
He, instead, sought to focus on human rights issues in China and to contrast them with Taiwan, a Chinese-speaking democracy with a boisterous free press. "The democracy and rule of law in Taiwan show that democracy is not an institution that is unique to the West," Mr. Chen said. "The success of democracy in Taiwan also exposed the Chinese government's lie that democracy does not work for the Chinese.” He instead sought to focus on human rights issues in China and to contrast them with Taiwan, a Chinese-speaking democracy with a boisterous free press.
“The democracy and rule of law in Taiwan show that democracy is not an institution that is unique to the West,” Mr. Chen said. “The success of democracy in Taiwan also exposed the Chinese government’s lie that democracy does not work for the Chinese.”
In Taiwan, which has been governed autonomously since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949 and which China still claims as its territory, Mr. Chen has been portrayed as a symbol of the dangers of growing too comfortable with China.In Taiwan, which has been governed autonomously since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949 and which China still claims as its territory, Mr. Chen has been portrayed as a symbol of the dangers of growing too comfortable with China.
“Taiwan’s government has trumpeted its many cross-strait agreements with Beijing, but these deals rely more on China's good will than legal niceties," The Taipei Times wrote in an editorial before Mr. Chen’s arrival. “Chen is living proof that neither Beijing’s good will nor its legal system can be relied upon.” “Taiwan’s government has trumpeted its many cross-strait agreements with Beijing, but these deals rely more on China’s good will than legal niceties,” The Taipei Times wrote in an editorial before Mr. Chen’s arrival. “Chen is living proof that neither Beijing’s good will nor its legal system can be relied upon.”
Some in Taiwan fear that its autonomy is under threat from growing ties with China, and worry that Taiwanese who live and work in China could fall victim to its arbitrary legal system. A proposal to allow Taiwan and China to set up mutual representative offices has stalled over Beijing’s unwillingness to allow Taiwan’s representatives unrestricted access to their compatriots detained on the mainland.Some in Taiwan fear that its autonomy is under threat from growing ties with China, and worry that Taiwanese who live and work in China could fall victim to its arbitrary legal system. A proposal to allow Taiwan and China to set up mutual representative offices has stalled over Beijing’s unwillingness to allow Taiwan’s representatives unrestricted access to their compatriots detained on the mainland.
Taiwan’s refusal last year to allow a visit by the Dalai Lama, who had been to the island three times previously, was widely seen as an effort to avoid angering the Chinese government, which opposes the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader.Taiwan’s refusal last year to allow a visit by the Dalai Lama, who had been to the island three times previously, was widely seen as an effort to avoid angering the Chinese government, which opposes the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader.
President Ma Ying-jeou, whose Kuomintang, the governing party, has pushed for closer relations between Taiwan and China since taking office in 2008, is not scheduled to meet Mr. Chen, nor is Wang Jin-pyng, the legislative speaker. President Ma Ying-jeou, whose Kuomintang, the governing party, has pushed for closer relations between Taiwan and China since he took office in 2008, is not scheduled to meet Mr. Chen, nor is Wang Jin-pyng, the legislative speaker.
“I think they are sensitive to seeing a figure the Chinese government doesn't like," said Lin Jih-wen, a research fellow at the Institute of Political Science at Academia Sinica, a government-sponsored academy. "They don't want to get into trouble.” “I think they are sensitive to seeing a figure the Chinese government doesn’t like,” said Lin Jih-wen, a research fellow at the Institute of Political Science at Academia Sinica, a government-sponsored academy. “They don’t want to get into trouble.”
Mr. Chen is expected to address the Legislature in Taiwan on Tuesday and meet opposition politicians, including Su Tseng-chang, chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party.Mr. Chen is expected to address the Legislature in Taiwan on Tuesday and meet opposition politicians, including Su Tseng-chang, chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party.
Mr. Chen’s visit to Taiwan has brought little comment from Beijing, although the allegations of Chinese influence in his departure from New York University prompted a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman to say the news was either erroneous or Mr. Chen was “fabricating information.” Mr. Chen’s visit to Taiwan has brought little comment from Beijing, although the allegations of Chinese influence in his departure from New York University prompted a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman to say either the news was erroneous or Mr. Chen was “fabricating information.”
The Global Times, a Beijing newspaper run by the Communist Party-owned People’s Daily Group, wrote last week that Mr. Chen’s “embarrassing situation mirrors the fate of many ‘pro-democratic activists’ in the 1980s.”The Global Times, a Beijing newspaper run by the Communist Party-owned People’s Daily Group, wrote last week that Mr. Chen’s “embarrassing situation mirrors the fate of many ‘pro-democratic activists’ in the 1980s.”
Jerome Cohen, an New York University law professor and longtime friend of Mr. Chen's who helped bring him to the United States last year, said he supported not talking about the controversies in the United States during the activist’s trip to Taiwan.
“I don’t want them to become a distraction,” said Mr. Cohen, who joined Mr. Chen in Taipei after spending several weeks in Asia. “We could have talked about did N.Y.U. succumb or not, we could have talked about spyware, but however important that is, we would lose focus. Who wants to give Beijing the satisfaction of seeing us squabble?”

Shih-han Huang contributed reporting.

Shih-han Huang contributed reporting.