On Saturday, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) met with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore. This was significant, as it marked the first meeting between leaders from both sides of the Taiwan Strait since 1949.
The summit meeting, conducted on the basis of dignity and parity, and the so-called “1992 consensus,” marked a pivotal milestone in cross-strait relations. The leaders proved to the international community that Taiwan and China are indeed open-minded enough to seize this historic opportunity, and achieve peace and mutual prosperity.
While the meeting itself was a momentous step forward in cross-strait dialogue, the lack of sincerity exhibited by the leadership in Beijing is regrettable.
The Taiwanese public is concerned by the threat of military invasion, including the buildup and potential deployment of about 2,000 ballistic missiles on the opposite side of the Taiwan Strait targeting Taiwan, and Taiwan’s marginalized international space, including obstructed participation in regional economic integration.
Assuring that “fair and reasonable arrangements” will be made remains vague and ambiguous; claiming that the missiles do not target Taiwan is hypocritical; and the rhetoric of defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and warnings of a “complete collapse” of peaceful relations without certain political preconditions is both coercive and threatening.
These positions are conducive to acceptance by Taiwanese, and the effective diffusion of tension and hostilities between the two sides.
The issue of cross-strait relations should not be a military problem, but a comparison of political systems and ways of life. Freedom and democracy are values deeply ingrained in the hearts of Taiwanese, and the conduct of cross-strait policies should transcend unilateral positions and incorporate different views.
The future of Taiwan, whether it is unification, independence or maintenance of the “status quo” indefinitely, should be decided by its 23 million people, and Taiwan does not want the freedom to make that choice to shrink.
Maintaining the “status quo” constitutes the broad consensus in Taiwan and serves the best interests of both sides. The two sides of the Taiwan Strait should cherish and secure the accumulated progress of institutionalized negotiations, cooperation and exchanges, because these accumulated outcomes will serve as a foundation upon which both sides can create more favorable conditions for further deepening cross-strait relations.
Alfred Tsai is a student at Columbia University, where he is studying economics and political science.
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