Taiwan’s new president Tsai omits one-China principle in speech

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Taiwan’s new independence-leaning President Tsai Ing-wen
Taiwan’s new independence-leaning President Tsai Ing-wen
Taiwan’s new independence-leaning President Tsai Ing-wen tread carefully around the thorny issue of relations with China in her inaugural address Friday, emphasizing the importance of two decades of growing exchanges without mentioning the one-China principle fundamental to Beijing.

Tsai said in her speech that she respected the “joint acknowledgements and understandings” reached between the sides at a landmark 1992 meeting seen by China as underpinning all subsequent contacts and agreements.

However, Tsai made no explicit mention of the concept that Taiwan is a part of China. Beijing claims the self-governing island as its own territory and says failing to endorse the one-China principle would destabilize relations.

In Beijing, the Cabinet’s Taiwan Affairs Office issued a statement noting Tsai’s reference to the 1992 meeting, but saying she had taken an “ambiguous stance” over the nature of the relationship between the sides.

Her failure to explicitly endorse what China calls the “‘92 consensus” embodying the principle of one-China, or to offer a “specific proposal to ensure the peaceful and stable development of relations between the sides” had left the question unanswered, the office said.

The statement, issued about five hours after Tsai’s speech, also reaffirmed China’s rigid opposition to Taiwan’s formal independence, stating that: “Today, our determination to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity is unshaken, our capability is strengthened and we will resolutely contain any ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist acts or plots in whatever form they take.”

Washington Times/AP

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2 responses to “Taiwan’s new president Tsai omits one-China principle in speech”

  1. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    I’m sure, that as SAND is dredged from the ocean-bottom, and beaches and the islands disappear under the ocean waters, that Taiwan will come to really appreciate being so ‘close’ to China, which is using cement so well to build empty verticle-human-storage-cities in remote cold parts of higher mountain spaces – along with Hydro-Dams to hold back SAND being carried to oceans in ‘Natures’ attempt to replenish what was taken for concrete.

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      By the way … Beach sand is like desert sand … too smooth and rounded to make a concrete (or a new false island) with any lasting tensile strength.
      (Wonder why some buildings just fall down some unexpected day? – YUP.)

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