Most Taiwanese academics believe that there is only a slight chance that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) will meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping (習近平), this year, although there are opportunities for such a meeting to occur.
The idea was expressed at a conference held by the Taiwan Competitiveness Forum at the Legislative Yuan on Friday. At the forum, academics joined in a review of cross-Taiwan Strait relations last year.
National Taiwan University political science professor Chang Ya-chung (張亞中) said that as long as the two sides insist on their separate stance on sovereignty issues, no breakthrough would be achieved on beginning cross-strait political dialogues this year and establishing a military confidence-building mechanism.
Chang added that under Ma’s three conditions for meeting with Xi, national need, support from Taiwanese and maintenance of national dignity, it is difficult to promote a meeting between Ma and Xi.
Other academics at the forum echoed his views.
However, Chang said an expected meeting between Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council Minister Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) and China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Director Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) next month would play a significant role in the development of cross-strait relations.
National Chengchi University Institute of International Relations research fellow Wu Tung-yeh (吳東野) agreed, saying it is not possible for Beijing to accept a Ma-Xi meeting because Ma has been avoiding the “one China” principle and Ma’s three conditions for holding such a meeting have yet been met.
There have been suggestions in Taiwan that the APEC forum to be held in Beijing in October could provide an opportunity for the two leaders to meet for the first time as ties between Taiwan and China have improved dramatically since Ma took office in 2008.
So far, Ma has been barred from the APEC leaders’ annual summit at the insistence of the Chinese government. Meanwhile, on the expected meeting between Wang and Zhang, the MAC said in a statement issued late on Friday evening that Wang will not touch “sensitive political issues” or echo China’s talk about a “one China framework” during his upcoming visit to China.
In the statement, the MAC added that it is the government’s policy to insist on the so-called “1992 consensus” and to promote positive cross-strait interactions in a stable manner.
The “1992 consensus” refers to an alleged consensus reached between Chinese and Taiwanese negotiators during talks in Hong Kong in 1992 that there is “one China, with each side having its own interpretation.”
The MAC’s statement was issued in response to a cross-party consensus reached in the Legislative Yuan earlier in the day that sought to keep Wang on a tight leash during his visit, which is expected to take place next month.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus proposed that Wang should not embark on any negotiations, sign any papers or issue any news releases or statements on such political issues as “one China,” the “one China framework,” “one country, two regions,” “military confidence-building mechanism,” “peace agreement” or “arrangement of political relations in stages.”
The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) caucus echoed the DPP’s proposal and added that Wang should also not accept or echo claims that would put the nation’s sovereignty at risk, such as the “one China framework,” or “opposition to Taiwan independence.”
The TSU said Wang should shoulder political responsibility if he violates these provisos. The opposition party added that Wang should give a report to the legislature after he returns to Taiwan.
Some of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators endorsed the proposals by the DPP and the TSU, which the lawmakers said are to be included in the budget legislation due to come up for approval.
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
A Vietnamese migrant worker yesterday won NT$12 million (US$379,627) on a Lunar New Year scratch card in Kaohsiung as part of Taiwan Lottery Co’s (台灣彩券) “NT$12 Million Grand Fortune” (1200萬大吉利) game. The man was the first top-prize winner of the new game launched on Jan. 6 to mark the Lunar New Year. Three Vietnamese migrant workers visited a Taiwan Lottery shop on Xinyue Street in Kaohsiung’s Gangshan District (崗山), a store representative said. The player bought multiple tickets and, after winning nothing, held the final lottery ticket in one hand and rubbed the store’s statue of the Maitreya Buddha’s belly with the other,
‘NATO-PLUS’: ‘Our strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific are facing increasing aggression by the Chinese Communist Party,’ US Representative Rob Wittman said The US House of Representatives on Monday released its version of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes US$1.15 billion to support security cooperation with Taiwan. The omnibus act, covering US$1.2 trillion of spending, allocates US$1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative, as well as US$150 million for the replacement of defense articles and reimbursement of defense services provided to Taiwan. The fund allocations were based on the US National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2026 that was passed by the US Congress last month and authorized up to US$1 billion to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency in support of the
CLASSIFIED BRIEFING: The ministry said the special budget focuses on building a comprehensive defense system and strengthening the domestic defense industry The Ministry of National Defense yesterday released information on seven categories of weapons systems to be procured under a stalled NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.57 billion) special defense budget, including precision artillery, long-range missiles, air defense anti-tank missiles and more than 200,000 uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs). The Executive Yuan approved a draft version of the budget on Nov. 27 last year and submitted it to the legislature for review. The legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee yesterday invited Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) to deliver a classified briefing and answer questions at a closed-door session. Koo said he hoped to provide lawmakers
RSS