A few days ago, Xinhua news agency published a long opinion piece about the meeting between Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) and Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Minister Zhang Zhijun (張志軍). The article commented on the meeting’s political basis and on the possible direction of future developments. The comments in the article are something that Taiwanese should pay attention to and seriously think about.
On the first topic, the article said: “Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has stated on many occasions that cross-strait relations are not ‘state-to-state relations’ and that he will not promote ideas like ‘two Chinas,’ ‘one China, one Taiwan’ or ‘Taiwanese independence.’”
The article also said that “in June last year, when honorary chairman of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) met with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), they each made it even clearer that the laws and systems of both sides practice the ‘one China principle’ and both use the ‘one China framework’ when defining cross-strait relations and that this provides a clearer basis for the two sides when it comes to upholding the ‘one China framework.’”
From this, it is evident that for Beijing, the Ma administration’s acceptance of the “one China” framework was a precondition for the Wang-Zhang meeting. In response, the Ma administration must explain whether, in addition to the ambiguous and shady so-called “1992 consensus,” the political basis for the current cross-strait interactions has changed.
If the situation has not changed, why has China interpreted things as if it has? Also, if what China says is correct, it would have involved a lot of sneaking around by Ma’s government. The administration must answer why it did not seek the public’s or the legislature’s agreement by offering the nation an explanation of its plan.
Looking ahead, the opinion piece said the two-way communication mechanism established by the meeting will have a major and positive impact on issues related to the full development of cross-strait relations, such as the exchange of opinions on political issues, forging agreements and fostering mutual trust.
That is to say, when Zhang makes his scheduled visit to Taiwan, China will put the discussion of political issues on the agenda and demand that Taiwan “forge a consensus” and “build mutual trust” on this front.
This suggests that matters are nowhere near as simple as an MAC press release alleges by saying that Zhang’s return to Taiwan would help “develop a deeper understanding of Taiwanese society and the conditions of its people.”
Ma’s administration was extremely pleased with itself after the Wang-Zhang meeting because the word “minister” was used. Most upsetting and unsettling in all of this are the sacrifices that Ma’s administration made to have Wang referred to as “minister” and whether the use of the title was really worth it. What further costs will have to be paid? With just two years left in office, it is safe to say that — apart from squeezing Taiwan dry — the Ma administration is not concerned with anything else.
Huang Tzu-wei is a researcher at the Taiwan Thinktank.
Translated by Drew Cameron
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.