Taipei: The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has criticized opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Chairperson Cheng Li-wun for attending a controversial White Terror memorial that included Wu Shi, a late high-ranking Chinese communist spy, among those commemorated.

According to Focus Taiwan, the MAC expressed that portraying a traitor as a victim of the tragic conflict between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is a grave insult to the nation’s dignity. It is seen as the greatest humiliation to the countless Republic of China soldiers and civilians who suffered or died because of Wu Shi. The MAC urged Cheng to focus on the 232 Taiwanese nationals who are currently missing or detained in China, emphasizing that their human rights and freedom are far more urgent and legitimate concerns than paying tribute to Wu Shi.

The statement followed Cheng’s attendance at the event held at Machangding Memorial Park in Taipei, which commemorated those persecuted during the White Terror period between 1949 and 1992. Cheng explained her presence as an acceptance of an invitation from a group representing the politically persecuted to mourn victims and their families, reflect on the injustices of that period, and advocate for peace, rather than to honor intelligence operatives.

Although Cheng stated that the event has been held for more than three decades without focusing on commemorating Wu Shi, his photo was displayed alongside other victims, and the event handbook featured an article referring to him as a “martyr.” The article suggested his actions should be understood within the broader context of national liberation and unification.

Meanwhile, Taiwan Society North, a pro-independence civil society organization, issued a statement criticizing Cheng for participating in an event organized by “pro-unification” groups that glorified “authoritarianism.” The association alleged that Wu’s espionage during the Huaihai Campaign led to the destruction of more than 100,000 Nationalist troops, yet he is now portrayed as a “martyr” by the CCP.

Wu Shi, known to the CCP as “Secret Envoy No. 1,” infiltrated the KMT government in the late 1940s and provided significant military intelligence to the CCP after arriving in Taiwan in 1949. He was exposed and executed for espionage in 1950, later posthumously honored by Beijing as a “revolutionary martyr.”

The controversy surrounding Cheng’s attendance comes amid renewed Chinese efforts to glorify Wu Shi, with the premiere of the spy drama “Silent Honor,” based on his life, on state broadcaster CCTV. The series portrays Wu as a national hero, coinciding with China’s Martyrs’ Day and National Day celebrations.