The Kuomintang will uphold the so-called “92 consensus” as the foundation of cross-strait dialogue and exchanges. That came from party vice chairman Andrew Hsia in a prerecorded address to the Straits Forum on Wednesday.
The 92 consensus refers to a tacit agreement made between officials in Taiwan and China. The agreement says that there is only one China, but that both sides have different interpretations of what “one China” is. It has been criticized for no longer reflecting Taiwanese popular opinion.
Hsia says, during his term as Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan and China enjoyed much better relations. He points out that ties have soured over the past few years. Hsia says that mechanisms for dialogue and dispute resolution have stalled.
Hsia made three appeals in his address. He wants both sides to maintain prior agreements, to resolve differences, and to actively pursue peace. Hsia says encouraging further economic exchange is key to these goals.
The Straits Forum is a yearly event organized by officials in China and civil society groups in Taiwan to foster exchange between Taiwan and China. So far, Kuomintang Chairman Eric Chu has not participated in this year’s forum.