Tsai: Maintenance of Cross-Strait Status Quo Identical to US Position

 Tsai: Maintenance of Cross-Strait Status Quo Identical to US Position

 Sources: China Times

May 8, 2015

According to the Taipei-based China Times, DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen, who is also the DPP’s candidate in the 2016 Presidential Election, recently explained clearly to Taiwan independence advocates that her statement referring to “maintenance of the cross-Strait status quo” was identical to the position of the US government. 

According to the news report, Tsai during her acceptance speech on April 15 proposed that “maintenance of the status quo” would be the DPP’s basic principle in handling cross-Strait relations should it return to power. However, the “Taiwan Nation Alliance” (台灣國家聯盟), an association created by over 30 pro-independence groups, expressed grave concerns over Tsai’s statement during its executive meeting on April 28. The alliance even issued a statement stressing that “Chairperson Tsai set ‘maintenance of the status quo’ as the cornerstone of her cross-Strait policy. However, since she didn’t elaborate on what she meant, unless she offers a clear definition, Tsai may not be able to unite supporters when she campaigns for the 2016 Presidential Election.” 

Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文), a former DPP chairman and a member on the executive committee of the Taiwan Nation Alliance, personally delivered the statement to Tsai’s office the same day. Yao confirmed that Tsai had told him in person that her “maintenance of the status quo statement is identical to the position of the US government.” 

Yao stated that Tsai had read out to him, word by word, the Alliance’s own definition of Taiwan's current international status: (1) Taiwan is an independent sovereign state; (2) Taiwan and 【Mainland】China do not belong to each other; (3) Taiwan is a free and democratic society; and (4) The Taiwan Strait is peaceful and stable. Tsai Ing-wen had even nodded to express her agreement with the Alliance’s position, Yao stressed. 

In addition, the KMT legislative caucus yesterday held a press conference, noting that a few months after former President Chen Shui-bian was sworn into office in May 2000, Tsai Ing-wen, then chairwoman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) under the DPP administration, once publicly advocated “one China in the future and eventual reunification,” so her current stance contradicted what she had previously said. 

KMT legislator Wu Yu-sheng stated that on August 3, 2000, then MAC Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen told legislators’ assistants during a study seminar on Mainland policy organized by the Legislative Yuan, “Taiwan's only option in the future is to construct a meaningful political relationship with Mainland China, a system of co-existence and co-prosperity for the next five to ten years, which means one China in the future.” Wu added that Tsai’s words had been posted on the MAC website after she made the remarks. 〔It has remained there since then.〕 

Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆), director of the KMT Central Policy Committee and party whip, opined that since Tsai now proposed “maintenance of the cross-Strait status quo” as the DPP’s core principle on cross-Strait relations, “She must clearly describe what it is: Chen Shui-bian’s ‘one country on either side,’ ‘her previous remarks about one China in the future,’ or any new position.” Lai stressed that as a candidate vying for the Presidency, Tsai Ing-wen should not hide behind empty rhetoric on cross-Strait issues.

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