President calls for peaceful reunification

‘Goodwill’ in Xi’s speech and potential for connectivity praised by Taiwan residents

Two speeches delivered on the Chinese mainland and Taiwan sent different messages, with one calling for reunification of China and the other for separating Taiwan.

President Xi Jinping proposed in Beijing on Wednesday that the mainland and Taiwan conduct democratic consultation on crossStraits relations and the future of the nation, and establish institutional arrangement for peaceful development of cross-Straits relations.

Delivering a speech at a gathering to commemorate the 40th anniversary of issuing the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said political parties and all sectors on both sides of the Straits may recommend representatives to conduct extensive and in-depth democratic consultation on the basis of the common political foundation of upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing “Taiwan independence”.

Xi stressed that achieving the country’s greatness, national rejuvenation and cross-Straits reunification is the trend of history, which can never be blocked by anyone or any force.

He called on Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, as well as Chinese abroad, to work together for the Chinese nation’s greater good and go with the tide of history, to jointly push forward the peaceful development of the crossStraits relations and advance the process toward the peaceful reunification of China.

Xi said the Taiwan question is China’s internal affair and allows no external interference, adding that China’s reunification does not harm any country’s legitimate interests, including their economic interests in Taiwan.

It will only bring more development opportunities to other countries, inject more positive energy into the prosperity and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world, and make greater contributions not only to building a community with a shared future for humanity, but also to world peace and development and the cause of human progress, he added.

Sun Teh-tsong, a Taiwan resident and also board chairman of the Taiwan chemical company Nan Pao, said he was impressed by Xi’s proposal for a common market across the Straits.

“Taiwan has long been troubled by its relatively small market within the island, and natural disasters have resulted in market fluctuations,” he said, adding that the huge market volume of the mainland can help Taiwan to fend off such fluctuations and provide more security for the livelihood of Taiwan residents.

Sun said there is also huge potential for better connectivity between the mainland and Taiwan, and Xi’s proposal for supply of water, electricity, gas and a bridge to Jinmen and Matsu from Fujian province would only be the first step.

Sun, the honorary chairman of the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, said Xi’s speech showcased confidence in resolving the Taiwan question with the country’s growing national strength.

“Over the past 30 years, the mainland has provided Taiwan entrepreneurs with a huge market and enabled them to create many miracles. It has in return helped the mainland’s manufacturing sector grow,” said Sun.

David Lin, chairman of the Association of Taiwan Investment

Over the past 30 years, the mainland has provided Taiwan entrepreneurs with a huge market and enabled them to create many miracles.” Sun Teh-tsong, board chairman of the Taiwan chemical company Nan Pao

Enterprises in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, said the combined wisdom from people across the Straits could enable the reunification despite the different political systems.

“I believe all the Taiwan residents can feel the goodwill from Xi’s speech today,” said Lin, who is also a Taiwan resident.

Delivering a New Year’s Day address in Taipei on Tuesday, Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen played up the perceived threat from the mainland. “We are facing national safety threats and risks, particularly from China,” she said.

“The election (on Nov 24) result doesn’t mean the Taiwan people want to abandon sovereignty, nor does it mean the Taiwan people will give up Taiwan’s autonomy,” Tsai said.

Tsai touted new measures to entice Taiwan companies to return from the mainland, a counteroffensive against the mainland’s efforts to attract the island’s investors. The incentives, which took effect on Tuesday and will last three years, include two years of free rent in industrial zones developed by Taiwan’s economic ministry, supplies of basic utilities and low interest rates.

The speech was Tsai’s first major address since her party — the proindependence Democratic Progressive Party — suffered a resounding defeat to the Kuomintang in local elections in November. The scale of the DPP’s electoral defeat, dubbed by the BBC as a “political earthquake”, was far greater than forecast, with the party losing seven cities and counties of the 13 the party had held. Tsai announced her resignation of the chair of the DPP to take responsibility for the party’s performance in the elections.

The DPP swept the KMT from power in Taiwan in 2016. Tsai has refused the negotiating framework that both sides belong to “one China”.

Alongside the mayoral elections, a “referendum” on changing the name under which Taiwan athletes will compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games to “Taiwan” from “Chinese Taipei” failed.

Bao Chengke, a professor of Taiwan studies at East China Normal University in Shanghai, said the failure of the so-called referendum “is evidence of Taiwan people’s refusal of ‘Taiwan independence’ and a blow to the DPP”.

Zhang Wensheng, a professor of Taiwan politics at Xiamen University in Fujian province, said the fundamental reason for the electoral defeat of the DPP is that it did not satisfy people’s need to develop the economy and improve their livelihoods.

People in Taiwan, as Zhang put it, are not satisfied with the Tsai Ing-wen administration’s pro-independence approach, which has forced cross-Straits ties into a deadlock, causing the island to fall behind the mainland market in many industries, including tourism and agricultural exports.

People’s disappointment was particularly reflected in their support for candidates and others who declared they would make all-out efforts to develop relations with the mainland to stimulate economic development, he added.

President Xi highlighted the breakthrough progress made in cross-Straits relations since 1949, adding that over the 70 years, estrangement between the mainland and Taiwan was ended in line with the common will of compatriots across the Straits, and Taiwan compatriots have made great contributions to reform and openingup on the mainland. The basic principles of “peaceful reunification” and “one country, two systems” were established, and the basic policy of upholding “one country, two systems” and advancing national reunification was laid out.

The mainland and Taiwan reached the 1992 Consensus based on the one-China principle, and the political exchanges across the Straits have reached new heights.

More countries and peoples have understood and supported the cause of the reunification of China over the 70 years, with a series of major victories in the battles against “Taiwan independence” and separatists being achieved.

In 2018, the attempts by the island authorities to participate in the activities of the World Health Assembly and other international organizations were thwarted. Several countries have severed their “diplomatic relations” with Taiwan.

Zhang Wensheng of Xiamen University warned of uncertainty in Taiwan’s political development this year and said cross-Straits relations are bound to be on the agenda of the “presidential” campaign in 2020 when a new Taiwan leader is scheduled to be elected.