Ma invokes ‘1992 Consensus’ at summit with China’s Taiwan affairs director

Ma invokes ‘1992 Consensus’ at summit with China’s Taiwan affairs director

2023-03-31

Turning now to former President Ma Ying-jeou, who’s halfway through his 12-day China tour. Ma had a meeting with China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Director, Song Tao , on Thursday. Taking center stage was the "1992 Consensus," a framework for cross-strait relations that Ma used during his tenure. During the meeting, Ma brought up the term again and again, but he didn’t once mention its familiar definition - that of "one China, different interpretations." Back in Taiwan, Premier Chen Chien-jen said it was clear that China had already changed the definition, to leave no room for ambiguity and allow only for unification.

Former President Ma Ying-jeou met China’s Taiwan affairs chief, Song Tao, on Thursday. Ma sent his greetings to Xi Jingping and recalled their encounter in 2015.

Ma Ying-jeou
Former president
Mr. Xi and I underscored the importance of the “1992 Consensus.” With the “1992 Consensus,” the two sides of the strait can set aside disputes and create a mutually beneficial relationship.

Ma also touted the cross-strait policies of his administration.

Ma Ying-jeou
Former president
Cross-strait talks resumed, and we signed 23 agreements. There were meetings between the heads of cross-strait affairs, and there were meetings with the leaders of both sides. The two sides established a historic model for peacefully resolving difficult issues.

Song Tao
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office head
Mr. Ma Ying-jeou cares for our peoples and firmly believes in the revitalization of China. On the political foundation of adhering to the “1992 Consensus” and opposing Taiwan independence, he has promoted the peaceful development of cross-strait ties to benefit people on both sides of the strait.

The “1992 Consensus” was brought up five times, as Ma and Song echoed one another. But Ma did not mention the KMT’s definition of the term, which allows for different interpretations of “one China.” Over in Taiwan, Premier Chen Chien-jen had this to say.

Chen Chien-jen
Premier
China has already reformulated the “1992 Consensus,” defining it as “one China” and “one country, two systems.” That’s a definition the people of Taiwan cannot accept. I hope that President Ma can understand that the consensus in Taiwan is that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country.

The premier urged Ma to listen to the people of Taiwan. Earlier during his China tour, Ma visited a COVID-19 exhibition, where he praised China’s management of the outbreak.

Chen Yu-chen
KMT lawmaker
Ma Ying-jeou was referring to the mainland’s approach. Their economy came to a halt so that the virus wouldn’t spread, so I think it’s not wrong in the slightest to thank the government of the mainland for that, for all they’ve done for humankind.

Cheng Yun-peng
DPP lawmaker
To use a popular term now, I’m “shook” that they would say such a thing. Now, even the WHO chief is asking China to shed some light on the situation, and to allow an international probe into the matter. Ma Ying-jeou is the only person to praise their management, after visiting Wuhan.

Ma is only halfway through his 12-day China visit, but the controversies are already piling up.

馬會宋濤高唱"九二共識" 陳建仁:盼理解台灣人理念

2023-03-31

前總統馬英九昨晚和中國國台辦主任宋濤會面，過程中五度提及九二共識，卻沒有半句一中各表，行政院長陳建仁強調九二共識已被定調為一國兩制，要馬英九理解國人想法，並喊話兩岸交流應該建立在，對等民主的方式上。

和中國國台辦主任宋濤會面，馬英九一開口先問候習近平，接著懷念起2015年兩人的「馬習會」。

[[前總統馬英九]]
“(2015年)我與習先生再次確認了「九二共識」的重要性，有了「九二共識」，兩岸才能擱置爭議，共創雙贏”

馬英九還不忘列舉自己任內的「豐功偉業」。

[[前總統馬英九]]
“包括在我任內兩岸復談，雙方簽署23個協議到兩岸事務首長會晤，再到兩岸領導人會面，雙方共同構建了一項「和平處理艱難問題」的歷史典範”

[[中國國台辦主任宋濤]]
“馬英九先生素有民族情懷和振興中華的信念，在堅持九二共識，反對台獨的政治基礎上，推動兩岸關係和平發展，利在兩岸，功在民族”

五度提及「九二共識」，馬英九和宋濤一搭一唱，卻連一句「一中各表」都不敢提，行政院長陳建仁有話要說。

[[行政院長陳建仁]]
“中國已經對九二共識，已經定調是一個中國，而且是一國兩制，所以我想這是我們台灣人民所不能接受的，在這裡希望馬總統也能夠瞭解，我們台灣人民的共同理念，就是台灣是一個主權獨立的國家”

陳揆呼籲馬英九多聽聽國人想法。馬英九前一天參訪COVID-19展覽時，還大讚北京防疫很好。

[[立委(國) 陳玉珍]]
“馬英九要講的是中國做這樣的手段，那中國經濟是整個停滯的情況下，讓疫情不再擴散，當然他謝謝中國政府在這個地方，為全人類所做的努力，這個我也覺得一點錯都沒有”

[[立委(民) 鄭運鵬]]
“這個講現在大家流行的叫「驚呆了」，包含WHO的秘書長譚德塞，他現在的立場也希望說中國要清楚交代，接受國際檢驗，只有馬英九先生可以到了武漢之後，還用正面的方式來肯定”

馬英九12天中國行還走不到一半，言行卻已掀起諸多爭議。

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Tsai Ing-wen
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Today the very conditions that enabled so much freedom and prosperity are actually at risk, not just for Taiwan but for countries the world over.

There were more than 100 people present, most of them U.S. officials or experts from think tanks. As the event was closed to the media, the Presidential Office later released a summary of Tsai’s remarks.

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President Tsai emphasized that this award is a tribute to the resilience demonstrated by the people of Taiwan in the face of tremendous challenges. With the courage and persistence of the people of Taiwan, and the support from our U.S. friends, Taiwan began its democratic transition and eventually brought an end to over three decades of martial law. Today, Taiwan stands with likeminded countries in pursuit of peace, prosperity, and the defense of democracy. Secondly, the president stressed that the PRC’s escalation of tension is evident, but Taiwan’s response has been measured and composed, demonstrating to the world that we are the responsible cross-strait stakeholder. The Taiwanese people want peace, not conflict, and history tells us that the best way to avoid war is through building strength. Thirdly, while Taiwan’s ties with the world’s democracies have grown stronger in recent years, we have continued to be excluded from participating in the functions of the United Nations and its affiliated international organizations. Such unjust conditions cannot stand. Taiwan needs support from our fellow democracies to facilitate participation in international organizations. Fourthly, because an unstable Taiwan Strait poses serious economic and security risks to the entire world, it is all the more important for us to safeguard the peace and stability of the region. This means not only increasing our security cooperation, but also facilitating a stronger, more robust economic partnership. Lastly, she stressed that Taiwan is a resilient society that believes in the power of democracy, but we cannot solve 21st-century challenges or push back against authoritarianism alone. We will continue to work with the U.S. and other likeminded democracies to demonstrate that democracy can deliver and that Taiwan is committed to safeguarding our way of life.

Tsai received the Global Leadership Award from the think tank’s board of trustees chair, Sarah May Stern, and its president and CEO, John P. Walters. Photos of the event, along with a summary of Tsai’s remarks, were published on her social media right after the ceremony. Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was rumored to attend, but ultimately did not show up.

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While in New York, President Tsai also connected with the Taiwanese American community. She stopped by a grocery store stocked with Taiwanese products and a breakfast diner serving classic Taiwanese fare, including youtiao. Tsai also paid a visit to Taiwan’s representative office, where she met culinary prodigy Liya Chu and two talented Taiwanese illustrators.

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I’m a baseball fan, a huge New York Mets fan, but also when I go back to Taiwan I always try to go to a game. I think going to a baseball game in Taiwan is much different.

Trigg Brown
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I don’t watch sports very much, but we love the name. Brother Elephants.

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The illustrator’s support for LGBT rights struck a chord with the president, whose administration legalized same-sex marriage in Taiwan. Tsai also appeared delighted by a surprise gift.

It was a portrait of Tsai in the artist’s uniquely charming style.

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This space, first and foremost, is for education. The front part is education to teach people that everything you see in this space is all made from trash. From the chair to the structure, to all the beautiful fixtures and housewares that you see. It is all made by the daily waste consumption that we produce. We turn that into a durable material. They can learn about the engineering technique from the software, LCA footprint analysis, all the way to the method of making. How do you turn trash into a new building material with smart machinery?

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Pretty much you can make almost anything. All the way from an airplane, to a car, to a robot. But, we have to dumb it down to something that people can actually experience in 20 minutes. So we decided to have a couple of different small products people can bring back. The first foray, we started in November is a cellphone charger. We started with a wireless 10-watt wireless charger.

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