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Cat Wang

Taiwan’s top official in charge of cross-strait relations called on Beijing to renounce hostility towards the island and said Taipei would consider relaxing restrictions on exchanges with mainland China after the Covid-19 pandemic.
But the comments by Chiu Tai-san, head of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, were rejected by Beijing, which called it a “deception tactic”.
In a speech at a symposium on China’s modernisation on Friday, Chiu said Taiwan was planning a “gradual easing of controls” on cross-strait exchanges as the Covid-19 pandemic abates.
“Both sides of the Taiwan Strait should promote healthy exchanges to build mutual understanding and mutual trust,” Chiu said.


“We hope the other side will soon renounce hostility and embrace peace as guiding principles so that together we can improve cross-strait relations.”
Cross-strait exchanges, which include travel in either direction by those reuniting with relatives, conducting business, studying at university or serving as a diplomat, were affected during the pandemic as Taiwan’s government imposed restrictions on travel from all foreign nationals.
Since January, those from mainland China could enter Taiwan only if they held a resident’s certificate, were the spouse or underage child of a Taiwanese national, or exempted under a special programme.
In March, Taiwan announced it would open applications for mainland Chinese citizens to enter for business contracts or study, with overseas students allowed to enter from August.
Chiu called on Beijing to cease threatening Taiwan, echoing the “four commitments” referenced by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in a speech this month to mark the 110th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of China – the island’s official title.
“Beijing’s approach of political and military intimidation has never led to solutions to cross-strait political disputes,” he said. “Unilateral actions and erroneous thinking have caused Beijing to be trapped in a contradiction of peace and war.”
According to Chiu, the “bottom line of Taiwan”, supported by “mainstream public opinion”, was the four commitments: the island’s free and democratic constitutional system, its view that Taiwan and mainland China “should not be subordinate to each other”, resistance to “annexation or encroachment upon our sovereignty”, and self-determination.


“Given the fact that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait differ in their institutions and values, they need to pragmatically deal with issues of mutual concern through dialogue on an equal footing,” Chiu said.
Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a breakaway province, has suspended communication with the island since Tsai, from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), became Taiwanese president in 2016.
In a statement on Friday, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said Taiwan’s ruling party was colluding with foreign forces to push for independence while at the same time calling for dialogue with Beijing.
“This illusion is an attempt to mislead the people of Taiwan and deceive the international community,” Ma said. “This kind of deception is despicable and must be stopped.”
He accused Taiwanese officials of deliberately damaging the foundation for cross-strait talks by refusing to acknowledge the 1992 consensus – a tacit understanding between the two sides that there is one China, but that each side can have its own understanding of what that means.


Ma said acknowledging the 1992 consensus was a simple issue of “right and wrong” and that adhering to the one-China principle was the precursor to peaceful development of relations.
In another statement earlier on Friday, Ma accused Chiu of smearing the mainland government, saying cross-strait tension was caused by the DPP.
He said the mainland’s aggressive gestures towards Taiwan were targeting a pro-independence camp rather than ordinary Taiwanese people.


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Easing of Covid-19 restrictions planned, says island’s top official for cross-strait relations, asking mainland to embrace peace to ease tensions
He says Beijing’s ‘political and military intimidation has never led to solutions’ – but Beijing’s Taiwan office calls Taipei’s stance a deception



Easing of Covid-19 restrictions planned, says island’s top official for cross-strait relations, asking mainland to embrace peace to ease tensions.
