Speaker of Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan says ‘will welcome the Dalai Lama’

[icy]

DHARAMSHALA, May 2: Speaker of the Taiwanese parliament, the Legislative Yuan, has said he will welcome the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Taiwan for the spiritual benefit of the Taiwanese people.

Speaker Wang Jin-Pyng made the remarks while receiving Speaker Penpa Tsering of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and Secretary Tashi Phuntsok of the Department of Information and International Relations of the Dharamshala based Central Tibetan Administration in the Taiwanese Parliament’s reception hall on April 30. Members of the Taiwanese Parliament were also present at the reception.

According to a report on CTA’s official website, Speaker Wang Jin-Pyng “recounted fond memories of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s earlier visit to Taiwan when he addressed the Parliament and gave public teachings” and stressed on the need to enhance contacts between Taiwan and the Tibetan people.

In his remarks, Speaker Tsering expressed his gratitude for Taiwan’s support for the Tibetan people and hoped for the development of good relations between Taiwan and Tibetans in exile. Taiwanese parliamentarians were later briefed on the issue of Tibet by the Speaker and DIIR Secretary.

Speaker Tsering, who is currently on an official tour of Taiwan, earlier participated in an international conference on China’s leadership transition and democracy held in Taipei from April 27 – 30. Over 80 participants from East Turkestan, Mongolia, Taiwan, Macau, and China attended the conference.

As requested by the organisers, the Dalai Lama sent a message to the conference.

In his remarks, Speaker Tsering spoke on the threats facing the survival of Tibet and the Tibetan people under Chinese rule, while DIIR Secretary Phuntsok briefed the audience on the efforts being made by the exile Tibetan administration to resolve the issue of Tibet.

The Tibetan officials from Dharamshala also held a meeting with a group of conference attendees from mainland China. According to the CTA, during the four-hour meeting, they “discussed and agreed on steps to raise the Chinese people’s awareness and understanding about the issue of Tibet.”

Picture of Tibetan Parliament Speaker Penpa Tsering (4th R) and DIIR Secretary Tashi Phuntsok (3rd R) during their meeting with Taiwanese Parliament Speaker Wang Jin-Pyng (5th R) and members of Taiwanese parliament in Taipei on April 30, 2013.

[dsiluvu]

According to a report on CTA’s official website, Speaker Wang Jin-Pyng “recounted fond memories of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s earlier visit to Taiwan when he addressed the Parliament and gave public teachings” and stressed on the need to enhance contacts between Taiwan and the Tibetan people.

In his remarks, Speaker Tsering expressed his gratitude for Taiwan’s support for the Tibetan people and hoped for the development of good relations between Taiwan and Tibetans in exile. Taiwanese parliamentarians were later briefed on the issue of Tibet by the Speaker and DIIR Secretary.

This to me is just another political agenda to gather more support using His Holiness the Dalai Lama's name as the front person again for their campaign over China. I think CTA should seriously think about changing their passe strategy because His Holiness is not going to "live" forever sorry to say... so what happens after that?

They might as well start creating a good relationship with China and work with improvisation with China is far better then using His Holiness all the time as a reason to hear their voice. Honestly it is becoming way to lame. A thought came to mind when I read this, you know the CTA first created separation, disharmony and sectarianism within their own people and now they continue this with other nations... so is this Dharmic i wonder?!   

[Big Uncle]

This is all fine but what if Taiwan returns to China? People think that it cannot happen but China is determined to find a way to reunite Taiwan and China. It would be very big if Taiwan returns to China as China is already the second largest in the world and with Taiwan, it would surpass America with its sheer financial and economic might. Therefore, China would do everything in her capacity to reunite.

Here's fairly recent article on this matter:-

CHINESE leader Xi Jinping has reaffirmed China's desire to bring Taiwan under its control in a meeting with the honorary head of the island's ruling party.
Xi's meeting on Monday with Nationalist Party honorary chairman Lien Chan was viewed on both sides as a symbolic gesture aimed a reaffirming warming ties between the former rivals following Xi's elevation to leader of the ruling Communist Party last year. Once-tense relations have given way to thriving trade, transport, and investment links, although there has been no commitment by Taiwan to political talks that might lead to China's unification goal.
Xi told Lien that he and other Communist Party leaders who took office in November will continue developing ties and pushing for unification with the island, which China claims as part of its territory.
"The new Communist Party ruling collective will continue to push forward the peaceful development of relations between the two sides and advance the cause of peaceful unification," Xi told Lien at their meeting at the Great Hall of the People, the seat of the legislature, in downtown Beijing.
Xi promised to "pragmatically forge ahead" to achieve new achievements in relations that would enrich residents on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The meeting is the first between Xi and a leading Taiwanese politician since Xi assumed the party leadership, and comes weeks before he assumes the title of state president at the legislature's annual session.
Taiwan split from mainland China amid civil war between the Nationalists and Communists in 1949. The decades since have seen a growing independent Taiwanese identity, with opinion surveys showing only a minority favour unification with Beijing.
The Nationalists, once bitter Cold War rivals with China's Communists, support eventual unification with mainland China but only under a still-to-be negotiated framework.


Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/world/china-affirms-goal-of-taiwan-unification/story-e6frfkui-1226585440574#ixzz2SIekfhPw

[Ensapa]

ever since the fall of chen shui bian, the ex prime minister of taiwan, Taiwan seems to have been going the way of reconciling with China. After all, China is a huge economic power and Taiwan could stand to benefit more to going back to China (and be ruled with autonomy like Hong Kong) as a vassal state. So the chances of China and Taiwan reconciling is very high and it is not surprising if they do. China will always welcome more nations into their fold and Taiwanese people are still Chinese at the end of the day.

[Rinchen]

With Taiwan welcoming the Dalai Lama, it is obvious that they are against whatever that China is promoting. I do not think that Taiwan would go back to China as through this action it is obvious that they are against what the China is promoting, and that Taiwan supports the Dorje Shugden ban.

[kris]

I agree with @Rinchen that Taiwan's welcome of HH Dalai Lama is more of a political decision than anything else. Taiwan is like an annoying little brother of China and just likes to do things to upset big brother China is still very much against HH Dalai Lama, and this is just Taiwan's way to upset China. It is also possible that USA is behind all this.

But whatever it is, if HH Dalai Lama do come to Taiwan, I rejoice for the people of Taiwan for receiving blessings from Chenrezig Himself!

[lotus1]

I do agree with dsiluvu and Rinchen that the invitation is for political reason. Taiwan is trying to use Tibet and His Holiness Dalai Lama to upset China and not sincerely to help CTA to free Tibet.
However, I do rejoice if His Holiness Dalai Lama can go to Taiwan and give Dharma teaching there. This is another reason for me to believe that the bigger reason behind the ban is to spread Dharma during this degenerated age.

[Manjushri]

People should just stop mixing politics and religion already. Religion is about self development, whilst many actions involved in the political arena involves some sort of greed, anger and hurt, to others on some degree, which totally opposes and contradict the teachings of Buddhism. People should not exploit religion for gains or ulterior motives..it's disrepectful and sickening.

Every individual should have free choice and rights to do what they want. I find it a little overboard that certain countries ban His Holiness from entering the country as it might cause friction...But what about all those people who could potentially benefit from His Holiness's visit/teachings? What about people who could save their own lives and get blessings from His Holiness? Yes, it isn't important, because the I always comes first.

[Galen]

It is only logical that Taiwan welcomes the Dalai Lama. After all, Taiwan is always against China in all their policies as they are also seeking independence from China, same as Tibet. The only Difference is that Taiwan has their own country to rule where as Tibet has no country but only an administration.

Definitely the people of Taiwan will benefit from the Dalai Lama's visit because the Dalai Lama will impart his Dharma Knowledge to the Taiwanese. Not too sure about the economical consequences as China may stop trade with Taiwan……. that would be an extreme result.