Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council, Wang Yu-chi, has delivered a report on the impact that recent municipal elections in Taiwan could have on cross-strait relations.
Speaking at a meeting of the ruling KMT's Central Standing Committee on Wednesday, Wang said that for the moment, Mainland policy towards Taiwan is unlikely to change. He said that Mainland authorities are likely to continue opposing Taiwan independence and promote grassroots exchanges with Taiwan’s youth. However, he said that Beijing is likely to spend the near future taking stock of the current situation and watching developments in Taiwan in the wake of a massive electoral victory for the opposition.
Wang said that although he does not believe that the election results have anything to do with cross-strait relations, they could have an impact on the future of the cross-strait relationship. The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is traditionally wary of Beijing, and their recent victory could make it more difficult to conclude future cross-strait agreements. Wang said that Beijing will also be concerned about changes the DPP might make to Taiwan’s cross-strait policies.
Wang said the Mainland has seen the political involvement of Taiwan’s youth and will take their influence seriously in the future.
Acting head of the KMT, Wu Den-yih responded to the report by saying he does not believe there is any correlation between the election results and popular views on cross-strait policies. However, he said the elections results will have an impact on future developments in cross-strait relations.
He said that the government must ensure that the public shares equitably in the benefits of cross-strait exchanges in order to win popular support for official efforts to develop relations with China.