Opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairwoman and presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen spoke about cross-strait ties on Sunday in the United States. She arrived in San Francisco on the last stop of her six-city tour of the United States.
Tsai’s China policy has been in the spotlight in recent weeks. It’s thought that her comments have been well-received in the United States and helped pave the way for meetings with higher level officials than in the past.
During her trip, Tsai said she would push for the continued peaceful development of cross-strait ties in keeping with the constitution of the Republic of China. The Republic of China is the official name of Taiwan’s government.
In contrast, President Ma Ying-jeou’s administration favors the ’92 Consensus as a basis for cross-strait ties. That refers to a tacit agreement which suggests there is only one China, although each side may have its own interpretation of what that means.
The opposition DPP has traditionally rejected the concept of “one China” arguing that Taiwan has been ruled separately from China for more than 65 years.
At a gathering with press on Sunday night (local time), Tsai was asked how her policy differs from the ’92 Consensus. She responded by calling for a return to the spirit that the two sides embraced in forging the consensus: “seeking commonalities, and respecting differences”.