On Nov 7, President Xi Jinping and Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou met for the first time in Singapore, amid worldwide attention. During the meeting, both sides expressed concern about the prospect that the cross-Strait status quo may be interrupted should the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) get elected to office in the upcoming 2016 election in Taiwan. With this in mind, the two leaders emphasized the importance of the 1992 Consensus with a view to forestall any new disruption in cross-Strait ties like that caused by the former DPP leader Chen Sui-bien.

President Xi said the meeting was essential to prevent that historical tragedy from repeating itself, and to prevent the fruits from peaceful development of cross-Strait ties from being lost again. This is a direct and sincere appeal, in a sense, to the DPP, which has been ambiguous about its stance on the 1992 Consensus. Furthermore, Xi adopted an open and pragmatic approach to the DPP. During the meeting with Ma, Xi emphasized his hope that all political parties and social organizations would accept and adhere to the 1992 Consensus. No matter what their past political propositions may be, as long as they recognize the historical facts of the 1992 Consensus, uphold its core content, China is ready to engage with them. Through this open-handed outreach, the Chinese president is appealing to the DPP to uphold the 1992 Consensus in the interest of peace and stability of the region, in particular across the Strait.

Back in March, Xi stressed the indispensable role of the 1992 Consensus in cross-Strait peace and development during a meeting with CPPCC members. He pointed out that, if the common political foundation enshrined in the 1992 Consensus should be eroded, the mutual trust across the Strait will evaporate, and cross-Strait relations will be drawn back to the old path of turbulence. The warning was meant to appeal to the DPP, but the message has so far gone unheeded by the DPP. Xi reiterated the message because no one wants to see disruption in cross-Strait relations, or turbulence in the region. Some may dare to ask: If the DPP dismisses or goes against the 1992 Consensus, will tensions flare up across the Strait?

Ma Ying-jeou is well versed in the political intricacies of Taiwan, and is familiar with the temperament of DPP leader Tsai Ing-wen, not to mention the US' high stakes in the Asia Pacific region. He has expressed unequivocally the concerns of bypassing or even denying the 1992 Consensus, and cautioned Ms Tsai against the illusion of maintaining peace and development in cross-Strait relations while bypassing the 1992 Consensus. His word of caution fell on deaf ears. On the contrary, she gave tacit support to Lai Ching-te, DPP member and mayor of Tainan, who has been advocating "Taiwan independence" in an unveiled challenge to Beijing. Tsai, by denying the existence of the 1992 Consensus, is apparently setting the stage for challenging the ultimate bottom line of cross-Strait relations, at least as a future option. Back in 2000, Chen Sui-bien loosened up on his stance and recognized the 1992 Consensus, which was met with strong opposition from Tsai, then the chair of the Mainland Affairs Council. Later, Chen hardened his stance on cross-Strait relations, which severely imperiled cross-Strait relations and undermined the peace and stability of the region.

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