The heads of cross-strait affairs in Taiwan and China had a conversation yesterday via a newly installed telephone hotline connecting the two sides of the Strait, during which they discussed recent developments in cross-strait relations, following rumors that the Chinese side has refused to answer calls since the Jan. 16 presidential and legislative elections.
During the conversation, Mainland Affairs Council Minister Andrew Hsia (夏立言) and China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Minister Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) exchanged Lunar New Year greetings.
It was the first time Hsia and Zhang used the hotline since the Jan. 16 elections, in which president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won the presidency and the party gained a legislative majority.
Hsia told Zhang that peaceful and stable development of cross-strait ties is the hope of people across party lines in Taiwan, and that both sides of the Strait should maintain and cherish the achievements made so far, a statement issued by the council said.
Expanding and deepening cross-strait engagement would help improve mutual trust and understanding, Hsia said, adding that both sides should avoid actions that could escalate tensions, but instead promote a healthy relationship.
The conversation came one day after Zhang issued a Lunar New Year message in which he lauded the achievements in the development of cross-strait ties and expressed hope that the two sides would continue to work together to maintain peace across the strait in the coming year, basing their efforts on the so-called “1992 consensus,” a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese government that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means. Former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) admitted making up the term in 2000.
The DPP has refused to recognize the existence of any such consensus.
There have been concerns that relations across the Taiwan Strait would deteriorate under Tsai’s administration, since the DPP is known for its pro-Taiwan independence stance.
Tsai, without using the term “1992 consensus,” has said that she “understands and respects” the “historic fact” that Taiwan and China “reached some common acknowledgments and understanding in 1992.”
In an interview with the Liberty Times (sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) late last month, Tsai said the two sides of the Taiwan Strait would need to work hard to build a “consistent, predictable and sustainable” relationship.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
RSS