Xi-Ma meeting unwinds risks in cross-Strait relations
- By Zhu Songling
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E-mail China.org.cn, November 18, 2015
In spite of her claimed desire to preserve the status quo, Tsai has been circumventing the 1992 Consensus, and her stance on denying that understanding remains unchanged, while Ma is conscious that preserving the status quo serves the interests of the US and other countries in the region. Ma made the case for this position during his visit to the Mainland Affairs Council in April this year, yet to no avail, as the DPP led by Tsai practically has written off Ma as a "caretaker president", and is determined to make Ma a lame duck during his remaining term. Ma cannot stop the DPP from pushing for "Taiwan independence" under the table, or creating "two Chinas" or "One China, One Taiwan", nor can Ma enforce his propositions for cross-Strait relations during his tenure. In order to promote the peace and stability of the region, Ma reiterated the 1992 Consensus during the meeting with President Xi. Ma's repeated assurance of adhering to the 1992 Consensus is meant as a reminder to the people in Taiwan that an administration turning its back on the agreement or pushing for Taiwan independence will rock the boat and even derail the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.
After the Xi-Ma meeting, Tsai claimed that she would be willing to meet with the mainland leader, but she knows very well that mainland leaders will never meet with pro-independence officials from Taiwan. In the meanwhile, she is leading the campaign against the Kuomingtang (KMT) on the grounds that the party is unable to defend Taiwan. Admittedly, Tsai is a seasoned politician and an adept campaigner.
To his credit, Ma conducted himself with propriety at the Xi meeting, and his reaffirmation of the 1992 Consensus indicates his deep concerns about the prospects of DPP leadership it the party wins in 2016. The DPP then accused Ma of "selling out" Taiwan, which is untenable as Ma didn't say or do anything that may compromise the dignity of the people of Taiwan. The misguided accusation is a veiled attempt to manipulate public opinion against the KMT so as to gain ground in the "parliamentary and presidential elections". Back in 2000 and 2004, to its regret, the DPP failed to win a parliamentary majority though they carried the day at the "presidential election". If the DPP has won both, its leaders would have embarked on "de jure independence", which they see as eventually leading to full independence of Taiwan. Eric Chu, the chairman of the KMT, scorned the DPP's indiscriminate allegations against the KMT as a "DPP is always right, others are always wrong" philosophy. Chu also said that the Xi-Ma meeting is a positive development, and appealed to the DPP to reconsider its "anything but P.R.C." policy.
In sum, the Xi-Ma meeting reaffirmed the fundamentally important role of the 1992 Consensus in maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, including that it underpins the status quo of peace and development. It provides guidance to the future development of cross-Strait relations. Also, it indicates a high level of consensus between the incumbent leaders of both sides of the Strait. As long as the next leadership of Taiwan upholds the 1992 Consensus, the peace and stability in the area will be maintained. Any attempt to the contrary constitutes a blatant challenge to cross-Strait relations, and it will definitely be met with counteractions from the mainland.
Zhu Songling is a Professor at the Institute of Taiwan Studies in Beijing Union University.
This article was first published at Chinausfocus.com To see the original version please visit http://www.chinausfocus.com/political-social-development/xi-ma-meeting-unwinds-risks-in-cross-strait-relations/
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