President Tsai Has Unshirkable Responsibility to Respond to Xi Jinping

  President Tsai Has Unshirkable Responsibility to Respond to Xi Jinping

China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

October 24, 2017

 Translation of an Excerpt

The DPP came back to power in 2016; cross-Strait relations again became mired in cold confrontation. For the last 18 months, the objective situation has apparently been disadvantageous to Taiwan. In the cross-Strait predicament, President Tsai several times expressed her hopes that after the conclusion of the 19^th National Party Congress (NPC), cross-Strait relations would make some breakthroughs. Now that the 19^th NPC has come to a close, the Mainland's personnel deployment and policy directions for the next five years have also been ascertained, and the bottom line and goodwill of Xi Jinping’s Taiwan policy have also been clearly expressed, it is time for President Tsai to respond.

In the narrative regarding cross-Strait relations in the 19^th NPC report, at the same time the Mainland delineated the red line against Taiwan independence, it also clearly expressed its policy guidelines on continuing cross-Strait economic, trade, and cultural exchanges, expanding improvements of Taiwan residents’ treatment in living studies, and employment, signifying that the Mainland will promote cross-Strait peaceful development as the axis, will not resort to the threat of force, nor will it close the doors for official cross-Strait interactions. However, official interactions have their premise; Taiwan needs to present a narrative vis-à-vis cross-Strait relations. President Tsai hopes that both sides of the Strait will erect a new model for interactions; Xi Jinping has finally released clear signals.

The ball is in Taiwan’s court; all circles are concerned about how the Tsai government will respond. Coincidentally, on the 26^th of October, the Mainland Affairs Council will sponsor a seminar to commemorate the 30^th anniversary of cross-Strait exchanges. Cross-Strait relations started 30 years ago when Taiwan allowed its residents to visit the Mainland for family reunions; the holding of this seminar has its serious significance. If President Tsai can deliver a speech using this occasion, it will be conducive to the erection of relations for new DPP-CCP interactions.

Cross-Strait relations have entered the crucial point of cooperation or confrontation, and time is not on Taiwan’s side, so delaying in hopes of change is not the best option. Taking the initiative to make a move and exhibiting Taiwan's advantages should be the core principle in facing the Mainland. If President Tsai indeed wants to maintain cross-Strait peace and stability in order to build a benign external environment for Taiwan's internal reforms, she must first properly deal with issues in cross-Strait relations. Please take concrete action to contribute your efforts to the improvement of cross-Strait relations!

Attachment : none