China is likely to continue to “pursue stability” on issues that affect its relations with Taiwan, a Taiwanese academic and East Asia expert said on Friday when commenting on the Taiwan affairs portion of the Chinese government’s latest work report.
The remark came in response to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s (李克強) work report delivered on Friday to the Chinese National People’s Congress, in which he reiterated Beijing’s “one China” principle and the so-called “1992 consensus.”
Li told the annual session that Beijing is determined to promote the “peaceful development” of its links across the Taiwan Strait and the “unification of the motherland.”
China would remain vigilant and resolutely deter “separatist activities” promoting Taiwan’s independence, he said.
Wang Hsin-hsien (王信賢), director of National Chengchi University’s Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies, said that this year, Beijing would focus on the revision of the electoral system in Hong Kong and, with regard to Taiwan, uphold its long-held position that it seeks stable cross-strait relations.
Wang said his projection is based on observations of this year’s congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, China’s top political advisory body that opened its annual session in Beijing on Thursday.
Since 2019, when massive protests erupted in Hong Kong against a controversial extradition bill, Beijing has taken “extremely swift” actions to suppress the growing pro-democratic movement in the territory that emerged from the protests, Wang said.
These included enacting the National Security Law in Hong Kong last year and a revision of its electoral system this year, he said.
Regarding Taiwan, Beijing is likely to do nothing “as long as there is no trouble,” Wang said.
Beijing seeks to address the situation in Hong Kong with an aggressive approach, while it seeks to deal with Taiwan “at a slower pace,” he said.
Echoing Wang, Chang Wu-ueh (張五岳), an associate professor at Tamkang University’s Graduate Institute of China Studies, said that the congress did not escalate its hardline approach toward Taiwan, despite the reiteration of its “one China” principle and the “1992 consensus.”
It remains to be seen if Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) would redress the Chinese government’s approach toward Taiwan, Chang said.
It would be revealing to see what Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) and China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Director Liu Jieyi (劉結一) say about Taiwan in their speeches to the congress and the conference, Chang added.
The “1992 consensus” — a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese government that both sides acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
The Democratic Progressive Party government does not recognize the “consensus.”
Meanwhile, Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Tai-san (邱太三) did not comment on the report, but said that the council is monitoring the meetings in Beijing.
Travel agencies in Taiwan are working to secure alternative flights for travelers bound for New Zealand for the Lunar New Year holiday, as Air New Zealand workers are set to strike next week. The airline said that it has confirmed that the planned industrial action by its international wide-body cabin crew would go ahead on Thursday and Friday next week. While the Auckland-based carrier pledged to take reasonable measures to mitigate the impact of the workers’ strike, an Air New Zealand flight arriving at Taipei from Auckland on Thursday and another flight departing from Taipei for Auckland on Saturday would have to
The Taipei City Government yesterday confirmed that it has negotiated a royalties of NT$12.2 billion (US$380 million) with artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant Nvidia Corp, with the earliest possible signing date set for Wednesday next week. The city has been preparing for Nvidia to build its Taiwan headquarters in Beitou-Shilin Technology Park since last year, and the project has now entered its final stage before the contract is signed. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city government has completed the royalty price negotiations and would now push through the remaining procedures to sign the contract before
Taipei Zoo welcomes the Lunar New Year this year through its efforts to protect an endangered species of horse native to central Asia that was once fully extinct outside of captivity. The festival ushering in the Year of the Horse would draw attention to the zoo’s four specimens of Przewalski’s horse, named for a Russian geographer who first encountered them in the late 19th century across the steppes of western Mongolia. “Visitors will look at the horses and think that since this is the Year of the Horse: ‘I want to get to know horses,’” said zookeeper Chen Yun-chieh, who has been
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said the name of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania was agreed by both sides, after Lithuania’s prime minister described a 2021 decision to let Taiwan set up a de facto embassy in Vilnius as a “mistake.” Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene, who entered office in September last year, told the Baltic News Service on Tuesday that Lithuania had begun taking “small first steps” aimed at restoring ties with Beijing. The ministry in a statement said that Taiwan and Lithuania are important partners that share the values of freedom and democracy. Since the establishment of the
RSS