Kaohsiung Mayor Denies "betraying" His People

The Kuomintang mayor of Kaohsiung, Han Kuo-yu, has angrily denied that he is getting too close to the mainland after being accused of betraying the people of Kaohsiung by a journalist.

Speaking to reporters in Macau on the second day of his cross-strait trip, the Beijing-friendly Kaohsiung chief said he is only in the region to talk business and explore more economic opportunities for his city.

The 61-year-old said the criticism that he is selling out his people is "preposterous", and questioned how he could possibly betray Kaohsiung when he's taking the vice-mayor and an entire business delegation with him.

Han is seen as a rising star in the opposition Kuomintang party, after he defeated the independence-leaning DPP in their Kaohsiung stronghold in the mayoral polls last November. He's also considered a potential contender in next year's presidential election.

Upon arrival in Hong Kong on Friday, he met with the Chief Executive Carrie Lam, the director of the Liaison Office Wang Zhimin, and secured several agricultural deals.

But he tried to steer clear of politics, telling reporters time and again that he only wanted to "make friends and do business".

After visiting Macau on Saturday, he will proceed to Shenzhen and Xiamen to continue his week-long trip.