President Tsai Ing-wen is seeking a peaceful cross-strait solution based on the principle of equality between countries. That was the word from Premier Su Tseng-chang at the legislature on Tuesday.
In her National Day address, Tsai said there is no room for compromise in the Taiwanese people’s commitment to democracy and freedom. But she also extended goodwill to China. She said provided there is rationality, equality, and mutual respect, Taiwan would work with authorities in Beijing to maintain peace in the region.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Spokesperson Ma Xiaogang responded on Monday that Tsai’s remarks insisted that Taiwan and China are two separate countries.
Ma said that China and Taiwan are part of one China and the two sides can only dialogue on the basis of the so-called 1992 consensus. That verbal consensus was made between semi-official representatives from the KMT and the Chinese government. It says that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one China, with both sides disagreeing on China’s legitimate government.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) does not recognize the consensus, criticizing it for being unclear and contrary to Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently said Taiwan should become a special autonomous region in China to secure the cross-strait region. Su says he doesn’t think Musk understands Taiwan or cross-strait relations that well.