Print

Mail

wiki links

Presidential election 2008: Reaction: KMT win likely to please, Beijing, says academic

Beijing was likely to be pleased with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) election as the nation's next president yesterday, a victory China hopes will bring the sides closer to renewing bilateral talks, a leading Chinese academic said.

Beijing will now expect Ma to move swiftly toward renewing talks on building closer transportation and economic links, which have been frozen by Beijing for more than a decade, Peking University professor Niu Jun (牛軍) said.

"It seems to reflect the desire of Taiwanese voters to get cross-strait relations back on an even keel, which is something the mainland wants too," Niu said after it was announced that Ma was to replace President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

There was no direct, immediate comment from the Chinese government or Chinese Communist Party on the election result. Niu said he did not expect any new initiatives from Beijing, saying the sides had already reached partial agreements when KMT politicians visited China.

"It's not a question of adjusting policy, but rather of consolidating the consensus already reached," Niu said.

Beijing suspended talks in part because of Taipei's refusal to recognize Beijing's "one China policy" under which Taiwan is considered a part of China.

China's official Xinhua news agency reported on Ma's victory in what it called Taiwan's "leadership election" -- reflecting Beijing's refusal to recognize the Taiwanese government.

Ma's win should be relatively palatable to Beijing because the KMT ostensibly favors unification between the two sides.

Beijing will also likely be happy at the failure of a pair of referendums on Taiwan's application to join the UN.

China has railed against the referendums, calling them a dangerous step toward independence and has rallied the US and other international powers in opposing it.

On Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (楊潔箎) warned that the referendums "seriously threaten peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and Asia-Pacific region."
This story has been viewed 2143 times.