President William Lai’s (賴清德) emphasis on a new “two-state theory” in his inaugural speech on Monday would only expose cross-strait relations to more unpredictable risks and challenges, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) told a forum in Taipei yesterday.
“As a former president of the Republic of China [ROC], I would urge President Lai, for the sake of people in Taiwan, to revise his new “two-state theory” in his inaugural speech, putting aside his political ideology and considering the welfare of Taiwanese,” Ma said.
“He should have dialogue with the government across the Strait by returning to historical and cultural common ground with the Chinese. Only in this manner can there be a chance for peace in the Taiwan Strait,” he added.
Photo: Taipei News Photographer Association / Bloomberg
Lai said in his speech that China should face the reality of the ROC’s existence, and that the ROC and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) are not subordinate to each other.
The statement was perceived by some as promoting a “two-state theory.”
Ma echoed the sentiment in a forum on cross-strait relations under the Lai administration hosted by Chinese Culture University.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration has in the past eight years failed to establish a channel of communication with China, Ma said.
As such, when two Chinese fishers who illegally entered waters around Kinmen County died during a pursuit by Taiwan’s coast guard, people were concerned that it could trigger a conflict, he said.
“The solutions to cross-strait disagreements can be found in the Constitution,” he said. “Amendments to the Constitution stipulate that Taiwan and China maintain a special relationship, which is not that of between two countries before the two areas are unified. Only by upholding this position stated in the Constitution can a cross-strait war be prevented.”
KMT legislators, whose party has the most seats in the legislature, should ask Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) about his interpretation of cross-strait relations according to the Constitution, whether it is that of “two countries” or “two areas,” he said.
Ma said that poor cross-strait ties were due to the DPP government’s unwillingness to recognize the Constitution’s description of the relationship and the so-called “1992 consensus.”
The “consensus” refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Ma said that in his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Singapore on Nov. 7, 2015, he had assured Xi that Taiwan’s interpretation of “one China” would neither turn Taiwan and China into two separate states nor turn Taiwan into an independent nation.
When the two spoke this year, Xi told him that he hoped that cross-strait exchanges would continue and be held frequently, so long as Taiwan and China acknowledge that they are both Chinese and share the same ancestors, Ma said.
Separately yesterday, former vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), who heads the Straits Exchange Foundation in the new administration, defended Lai’s inauguration address.
Lai reaffirmed in his speech Taipei’s willingness to engage in dialogue with Beijing and uphold the “status quo” based on the Constitution, Cheng said, adding that Lai also reiterated the stance that the ROC and the PRC are not subordinate to each other.
The main points in Lai’s speech on cross-strait ties were that China cannot avoid dialogue with Taiwan’s elected government, and that it should choose “exchanges over containment, and dialogue over confrontation,” Cheng said.
Lai’s cross-strait rhetoric was in line with that of many former presidents, including Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), with the only exception being Ma, who upheld the “1992 consensus,” Cheng said.
The DPP has never acknowledged the “1992 consensus,” arguing that Beijing allows no room for the interpretation of “China” as the ROC, he said.
Acceptance of the “consensus” would imply agreement with China’s claim over Taiwan, he added.
Additional reporting by CNA
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