s ▁positions ▁on ▁Taiwan , ▁and ▁prevent ed ▁its ▁rep or ters ▁from ▁covering ▁topics ▁that ▁may ▁be ▁seen ▁as ▁against ▁China , ▁such ▁as ▁issues ▁involving ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁T ian an men ▁Square ▁protest s . ▁Ts ai ▁himself ▁has ▁open ly ▁admitted ▁to ▁air ing ▁commer ci als ▁from ▁P RC ▁authorities . ▁ ▁Before ▁Ts ai ▁Eng - M eng ▁bought ▁it , ▁The ▁political ▁position ▁of ▁the ▁China ▁Times ▁had ▁been ▁sl anted ▁towards ▁the ▁pan - blue ▁coal ition ▁( pro - un ification ), ▁although ▁it ▁was ▁considered ▁more ▁moder ate ▁than ▁the ▁United ▁Daily ▁News . ▁Rel ations ▁with ▁the ▁Ku om int ang ▁national ist ▁government ▁have ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁been ▁close , ▁but ▁when ▁the ▁China ▁Times ▁U . S . ▁Edition ▁ceased ▁publication ▁after ▁the ▁Chi ang ▁Nan ▁Mur der ▁Case ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁the ▁China ▁Times ▁broke ▁with ▁then ▁K MT ▁president ▁Chi ang ▁Ch ing - ku o ▁in ▁protest . ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁the ▁China ▁Times ▁has ▁developed ▁a ▁more ▁liberal ▁and ▁pro - dem ocr atic ▁st ance , ▁often ▁concerned ▁with ▁progress ive ▁issues ▁such ▁as ▁social ▁justice ▁or ▁environmental ▁concerns . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁the ▁China ▁Times ▁was ▁often ▁support ive ▁of ▁the ▁opposition ▁Democratic ▁Progress ive ▁Party , ▁more ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁of ▁liberal ism ▁rather ▁than ▁Taiwan ese ▁Independ ence . ▁China ▁Television ▁(