Taiwan’s leader condemns California church shooting

Taiwan’s leader has condemned the shooting at a Taiwanese church in California by a man reportedly driven by hatred of the island.

Tsai Ing-wen’s office issued a statement yesterday saying she condemned “any form of violence,” extended her condolences to those killed and injured and had asked the island’s chief representative in the U.S. to fly to California to provide assistance.

The suspect in the shooting, David Chou, 68, of Las Vegas, had ties to a Chinese-backed organization opposed to Taiwan’s independence, according to Taiwanese media. Those details could not immediately be confirmed.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary and regularly denounces Tsai, her ruling Democratic Progressive Party and their foreign supporters in increasingly violent terms.

Tensions between China and Taiwan are at the highest in decades, with Beijing stepping up its military harassment by flying fighter jets toward the self-governing island.

Chou was expected to appear in California state court today [Macau time] on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. Police said he hid firebombs before Sunday’s shooting at a gathering of mostly elderly Taiwanese parishioners at the church in Orange County outside Los Angeles. One man was killed and five people wounded, the oldest 92. A federal hate crimes investigation is also ongoing.

Chou, a U.S. citizen, apparently had a grievance with the Taiwanese community, police said. Chou was born in Taiwan in 1953, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported, citing the head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, Taiwan’s de-facto consulate in the city.

In Taiwan, DPP legislator Lin Ching-yi said “ideology has become a reason for genocide” in a message on her Facebook page.

Lin said Taiwanese need to “face up to hateful speech and organizations,” singling out the United Front Work Department that seeks to advance China’s political agenda in Taiwan and among overseas Chinese communities.

Asked about Chou’s reported political leanings, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Beijing had “noted the relevant reports.”

“We hope the U.S. government will take effective measures to resolve the worsening gun violence issue at home,” Wang told reporters at a daily briefing.

The U.S. is Taiwan’s chief political and military ally though it doesn’t extend the island formal diplomatic ties in deference to Beijing. MDT/AP