Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday said that she was disappointed with the outcome of a meeting between President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
“We regret that the only result of the Ma-Xi meeting is the use of politics to limit the choices of the Taiwanese public regarding cross-strait relations on an international stage,” Tsai told a news conference in Yunlin County’s Douliu City (斗六) during a stop in her central Taiwan campaign trip.
“This morning, we expected him to do three things for the people of Taiwan: confirming the ability for the 23 million people of Taiwan to make their own choices; establishing that there would be no political preconditions in the development of cross-strait relations; and ensuring equal footing and dignity in cross-strait relations. However, he did not accomplish any one of those three objectives,” she added.
Tsai said that she was very disappointed after watching the live TV coverage of the Ma-Xi meeting in Singapore, adding that Ma departed yesterday morning as the public questioned his decisionmaking and returned with only more controversy.
“The Taiwanese public will not accept a political framework that lacks democratic procedures and the support of public opinion,” Tsai said.
“I am confident about Taiwan’s democracy and people, and I will work with the people of Taiwan in a more democratic way to make up for the damage caused by the Ma-Xi meeting,” she added.
Prior to the event, Tsai said that the Ma-Xi meeting was not a “historical meeting” as Ma had claimed, but rather only a “newsworthy meeting.”
Meanwhile, DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) was harsher in his criticism of the meeting, accusing Ma of “kowtowing and surrendering” to Xi during the event.
“Ma said in front of Xi that the ‘1992 consensus’ is an agreement on ‘one China’ reached in November 1992, meaning that he has abandoned his long-claimed stance of the ‘1992 consensus’ is ‘one China, different interpretations,’” Ker said. “That was the president of the Republic of China [ROC] openly denouncing the ROC at an international event; a serious setback for Taiwan’s sovereignty.”
Ma’s actions are the equivalent of “kowtowing and surrendering. We cannot accept such remarks, and express our strong protest against them,” Ker added.
Meanwhile, Taiwan Solidarity Union Chairman Huang Kun-huei (黃昆輝) was also critical of Ma’s remarks on the “1992 consensus” made during the meeting, saying that Ma only proved that his previous definition of the “1992 consensus” was a lie.
Ma echoing Beijing’s call for “one China” and agreeing with Xi’s opposition to Taiwanese independence are unforgivable, Huang added.
“Ma has further limited the next generation’s choices regarding Taiwan’s future,” Huang said. “That is an unforgivable crime.”
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