Former legislative speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) on Friday took over as chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), and said that cross-strait relations should be based on mutual understanding rather than confrontation.
Su assumed the post in a special board meeting of the SEF, a semi-official body tasked with handling technical matters involving China.
He succeeded Frank Wu (吳豊山), who announced his resignation on Dec. 18 last year and stepped down on Dec. 31.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
The foundation’s 35th anniversary is this year, Su said, adding that regardless of cross-strait developments, its core mission remains to serve the people, promote exchanges and build conditions for peace.
The SEF would continue to focus on the people, with an emphasis on cross-strait dialogue and exchanges, he said, saying he hoped that China would do the same.
The foundation would also continue to express goodwill that promotes understanding and exchanges, efforts that aim to prevent conflicts and create opportunities to resolve problems, Su said.
SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said he hoped that the SEF and China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits could engage in normal exchanges.
Communication between the SEF and the association has been suspended since former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of the Democratic Progressive Party was elected in 2016.
The association said negotiations and communications with the SEF could only continue if the latter was authorized to confirm adherence to the so-called “1992 consensus,” a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) admitted to making up in 2000.
It refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and China that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
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