Ma considered letting Taiwanese businssmen be Chinese officials

That was basically the world's shortest-lived piece of news yesterday. The type of official in China is apparently called a member of Political Consultative Conference (政协委员); Mainland Affairs Council chair Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛) said two days ago that participation in the city and provincial levels of these conferences was less sensitive, and that the MAC would research how and if Taishang could serve in them.

The DPP then went on a propaganda flurry, raising worries about immediate and total sell out as well as serious conflict of interest scenarios, and the KMT government instantly backed down yesterday, saying that it was not possible to reconcile Chinese and Taiwanese law on this matter, so for the time being participation by Taishang in these Political Consultative Conferences would not be allowed.

The very fact it was even considered seems very disturbing to me, though the KMT who supported it probably argue it's just another way to safegaurd Taishang interests and increase their say in how things are done in their place of business.