James Soong is under pressure to clarify his views on Taiwan's political status
Beijing will be listening closely when People First Party (PFP) chairman James Soong Chu-yu delivers a speech at Tsinghua University today.
What the opposition party leader says could determine the outcome of his talks with President Hu Jintao tomorrow, according to a senior mainland official in charge of Taiwan affairs.
Sun Yafu , vice-director of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, made the comment during a briefing at the university for those invited to hear the speech, sources said.
The speech would be one of the keys to determining whether the meeting between Mr Soong and Mr Hu would lead to a breakthrough on cross-strait relations, Mr Sun said.
Sources said Mr Sun also told the audience of Tsinghua University staff and students on Monday that the central government still had many questions regarding Mr Soong's position on the island's political status, and today's speech would be an opportunity for him to clarify his views.
Beijing has been watching Mr Soong's mainland tour carefully. Top leaders have been concerned about his frequent references to the 'Republic of China' and his suggestion that democracy is a unifying principle of the Chinese people. The government has decided against live broadcasts of some appearances because of its concerns.
