The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday called on president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to table her foreign and cross-strait policies, concerned that the resumption of ties between the Gambia and China on Thursday is only the beginning of “scorched-earth” diplomacy with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) returning to the presidency.
The KMT caucus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Chen Chun-shen (陳俊賢) and the Mainland Affairs Council’s (MAC) Planning Department Director Hu Ai-ling (胡愛玲), held a news conference in Taipei saying that Taiwan’s foreign policy “is highly interrelated with its cross-strait policy.”
KMT Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said people are concerned about how the new government might react to Beijing’s bottom line — the “one China” principle.
“Is the Gambia episode a warning to Tsai or the beginning of the new government’s ‘scorched earth’ diplomacy? Both the ruling and opposition parties hope that the nation’s international space will not be severely limited due to pressure [from Beijing],” Chiang said.
KMT Legislator Hsu Shu-hua (許淑華) said the timing of the resumption of diplomatic ties was curious, “as the cross-strait relationship is fairly good now.”
“[The timing] is meant to pressure the new administration to have a clearer stance on the cross-strait relationship, including accepting the [so-called] ‘1992 consensus,’” he said.
The “1992 consensus” refers to a supposed understanding reached during cross-strait talks in 1992 that Taiwan and China acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means. Former KMT legislator Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted that he had made up the term in 2000, when he was head of the Mainland Affairs Council.
KMT Legislator Lee Yan-hsiu (李彥秀) said Beijing’s move “has hurt the feelings of Taiwanese and is having a negative impact on the cross-strait relationship.”
“Beijing is trying to intimidate Tsai [into accepting] the ‘1992 consensus’ and the ‘one China’ principle. It is just the beginning. A nation’s diplomacy should retain its continuity, but we are not over-optimistic,” Lee said.
Chen said that diplomacy is above the partisan fray and based on national interests.
“Taiwan has always faced hurdles in terms of its international situation, but one thing that is sure is that a nation’s diplomatic achievements are dependent on its strength. In practice, we cannot rely on unilateral goodwill or hesitate when meeting suppression,” Chen said. “Be it a slap in the face or a warning, I earnestly wish this kind of mentality be disposed of.”
The Gambia’s financial status is not irrelevant to it restoring diplomatic ties with China, Chen said, adding that the ministry has been monitoring Gambian politics since it severed ties with Taiwan in 2013 and found that its civil servants received only half of their wages in January, its hospitals have closed, and its water and electricity facilities are in financial ruins.
“[Gambian President] Yahya Jammeh is the ruling party’s presidential candidate and he needs foreign aid in order to boost the economy and alleviate public pressure,” Chen said.
Hu said the ministry “received notification from [China] at about 1pm on Thursday [of its diplomatic relationship with the Gambia], which stated that it would announce the news later in the day,” adding that the ministry has expressed its displeasure over the issue.
When asked whether the news was delivered through the hotline between Minister of Mainland Affairs Andrew Hsia (夏立言) and China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Director Zhang Zhijun (張志軍), Hu said the notification was made “via a text message.”
She added the council had made a request for a direct conversation with Zhang via the hotline, “but [the TAO] claimed that Zhang was not in the office.”
KMT Legislator Apollo Chen (陳學聖), during a KMT party caucus meeting yesterday, advised the caucus to issue a statement protesting China’s “unfriendly move.”
Former deputy legislative speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) said the move was “China’s starting gesture,” and whether there would be a “domino effect” would depend on the new government’s position and attitude over the cross-strait relationship.
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