Tsai Ing-wen who led the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to a landslide victory in January, has called on economic revitalization at home and alluded, briefly and carefully, to the challenge of dealing with Beijing.
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China has warned Taiwan against pursuing independence, just hours after the island’s first female president was sworn into office Friday.
Instead, she said she respected the “historic fact” that a meeting took place in 1992, during which Taiwan and the mainland sought common ground and tried to set aside their differences, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
Although Taiwan is self-ruling after splitting with the mainland in 1949 following a civil war, it has never formally declared independence and Beijing still sees it as part of its territory awaiting reunification. With her coming to power, concerns have arisen in China about future course attempts to normalise cross straits relations.
In March, China scrapped a diplomatic truce with former President Ma Ying-jeou and established relations with the tiny West African nation of Gambia, one of a handful of states that still recognized Taiwan. China claims sovereignty over Taiwan and insists the two eventually unify.
In commentaries published ahead of the swearing-in, mainland Chinese state papers say her inauguration will mark the start of a “period of uncertainty” in cross-strait ties.
But observers agreed Beijing was never likely to be satisfied without a compromise on the “one China” issue. “In that case, the domestic and worldwide situation for Taiwan will only get more and more hard”.
“The communication mechanism between the two departments can only continue if the 1992 consensus, which represents the common political foundation of the one China principle, is adhered to”, he was quoted as saying. Tsai promised to reform the island’s economy to end its past overreliance on a single market.. Taiwan (officially known as the Republic of China), on the other hand, has governed itself as a country and held independent elections for decades.
Tsai Ing-wen called for “positive dialogue” with China in her inauguration speech in Taipei.
“More than 40% of Taiwan’s Economy is reliant on its business with China, so I think Tsai should be extra-careful in expressing her viewpoints”.
But the element of proceedings most closely watched – particularly by Beijing – will be Tsai’s 30-minute inauguration speech.
China has multiple ways of registering its dissatisfaction, including cutting exchanges and regular contacts, tightening the island’s diplomat isolation and barring Chinese tourists from visiting the island. That understanding formed the basis of the warming ties between the Kuomintang (KMT) in Taiwan and the Chinese Communist Party over the past eight years. China staunchly opposes Taiwanese independence.
Taiwanese political scientist Shane Lee said he expected China to react, although not too strongly.
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A participant of the rally, who only gave the surname Chen, said; “I am here to show my support for the 1992 Consensus, and I hope our new leader recognizes and accepts it”. Dragged down by slower demand for its products from China and elsewhere in the world, Taiwan has posted three straight quarters of economic contraction.
