The next day, Liang Wen-chieh, deputy minister of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, said it was up to “each political party to bear responsibility for itself and to society”, and Hung’s decision was “not something to be punished by law”.
Liang added that, although Hung had previously served as deputy president of Taiwan’s legislature, the position fell outside the scope of legislation restricting retired Taiwanese officials from attending official celebrations hosted by Beijing.
However, he said, such actions “failed to actively uphold governmental dignity and defied public expectations, which we deeply regret”.
Before the parade, Taipei had repeatedly invoked its act governing cross-strait relations, warning certain retired officials and generals against going to Beijing for the ceremony.