Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen said Sunday the party 'does not rule out the possibility of entering into direct and substantial dialogue with China if there are no political preconditions.' The DPP cannot let the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) dominate Taiwan's channels of communication to the international community and China, she said. Tsai's remarks signaled the DPP is likely to introduce radical changes to its China policy. The following are excerpts from local media coverage of the issue: China Times: Tsai made the comments at a seminar preparing her proposal for a 10-year DPP political platform that will address the challenges Taiwan faces in the coming decade. Tsai said that the KMT's strategy to approach the world through Beijing could lead to Taiwan only reaching China and eventually being regarded as part of China by the international community. The strategy could cost Taiwan its sovereignty and strip the people of their rights to decide the country's future, Tsai contended. On the other hand, the DPP's strategy of developing relations with China gradually has taken into consideration the nation's sovereignty, national security and economic security, Tsai said. The DPP leader added that her party holds fast to the principles that Taiwan and China maintain relations that are reciprocal and not discriminatory, peaceful and not confrontational, and equal and not subordinate. She said that although the DPP is not a ruling party, it can live up to public expectations and represent the mainstream better than the KMT. Therefore, she said, the DPP has a responsibility to accurately convey public opinion to the international community. (May 3, 2010). Liberty Times: Tsai made it clear for the first time Sunday that the international community and China should not view Taiwan through the ruling KMT and that the DPP does not exclude direct talks with China to communicate the views of the Taiwan people. Former Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Chen Ming-tong said that the DPP chairwoman's remarks can be considered as a message to China. Chen suggested that Taiwan and China establish official representatives in each other's capitals to replace quasi-official relations between Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS). Responding to DPP criticism, Presidential Office spokesman Lo Chih-chiang criticized the former DPP administration for not opening direct flights between Taiwan and China. With the opening, President Ma Ying-jeou has successfully helped the people save a lot in flight tickets and travel time. Lo also criticized the DPP for saying the government is too hasty in pursuing a proposed trade pact with China, after the DPP government did not sign free trade agreements with any of its major partners while in power. (May 3, 2010) United Daily News: Tsai also said that the DPP would not accept the 'one China' framework and that Taiwan's most important safeguard against Beijing was its vibrant democracy, love of liberty and respect for human rights. She said that any new policy on China would be formulated in accordance with democratic procedures, and would only become national policy after it wins public support through a referendum. (May 3, 2010). 