Beijing has rolled out the red carpet for Ma Ying-jeou, the first former Taiwanese leader to take part in the Straits Forum, the 17th edition of which opened in Fujian province on Sunday.
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But back home, Ma is facing a fierce backlash from pro-independence politicians and critics, who accuse the former Kuomintang chairman of “dancing with Beijing” to undermine Taiwan’s political standing.
The annual cross-strait forum is branded by Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as a centrepiece of Beijing’s “united front” operations, which aim to extend the Communist Party’s influence and control beyond mainland China. Ma’s comments at the latest event have further intensified those accusations.
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Taiwan leader William Lai says Beijing has no authority over island in Double Tenth speech
Taiwan leader William Lai says Beijing has no authority over island in Double Tenth speech
Addressing the forum’s opening ceremony in the southeastern city of Xiamen, Ma reiterated that only by adhering to the “1992 consensus” and opposing Taiwan independence could both sides of the Taiwan Strait achieve a peaceful and positive outcome.
The “1992 consensus”, a mutual understanding that there is only “one China” , was reached when the KMT was in power in Taipei.
Ma’s remarks were echoed by Wang Huning – Beijing’s No 4 official and a member of the Communist Party’s all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee.
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Wang emphasised the need to uphold the one-China principle and the “1992 consensus”, while calling for resolute opposition to “Taiwan independence” and foreign interference.