Taipei: Taiwan's central government has yet to determine whether Taitung County Magistrate Yao Ching-ling violated legal statutes by participating in China's Straits Forum through a prerecorded video, as stated by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday.

According to Focus Taiwan, MAC head Chiu Chui-cheng mentioned on a radio program that an investigation is ongoing to ascertain if Yao contravened Article 33-1 of the Cross-Strait Act. This article prohibits any individual or organization in Taiwan from engaging in cooperation with Chinese agencies involved in "political work against Taiwan" or activities that affect national security or interests. The MAC has referred the matter to the Ministry of the Interior for a thorough administrative investigation into Yao's involvement in the forum, which was primarily held in Xiamen, Fujian Province, on June 13.

MAC, as Taiwan's principal agency for managing cross-strait affairs, has previously labeled the forum as a "Chinese Communist Party united front platform" targeting Taiwan. The agency has imposed a ban on both central and local government officials from attending the event, extending a previous restriction that only applied to central government personnel. Consequently, Yao's request to attend the forum in person was denied in early June.

Chiu's comments came after reports that Yao, a member of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), delivered prerecorded remarks at a signing ceremony during the forum on June 13. China's Xinhua News Agency reported that Yao congratulated participants in the video, highlighting that the ceremony, where Chinese companies committed to purchasing Taiwanese agricultural and fishery products, was encouraging for Taiwan's farmers and fishers.

In response to the ongoing controversy, Yao stated on Wednesday that she felt justified in her actions, asserting that recording the video was appropriate. The central government's investigation has also drawn criticism from KMT lawmaker Wang Hung-wei, who pointed out that President Lai Ching-te engaged in exchanges with China during his tenure as Tainan mayor from 2010 to 2017.

During a legislative session, Wang questioned the government's criteria for determining which cross-strait platforms Taiwanese officials are permitted to attend. In return, Chiu emphasized that Lai would not have participated in exchanges through a united front platform, reiterating that the Straits Forum serves as a propaganda tool intended to infiltrate, divide, and undermine Taiwan's interests.