Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Andrew Hsia says that Taiwan and China will hold high-level talks at the end of the month. He was speaking on Saturday evening in the United States at an event marking the 40th anniversary of the Chinese American Academic & Professional Society.
Hsia also said he may visit China in September for a second meeting with his Chinese counterpart Zhang Zhijun, who is the head of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office. It would be Hsia’s first trip to China since taking office.
At the preliminary round of talks in late August, the two sides are expected to sign two agreements, including one related to air safety.
During his speech on Saturday, Hsia also underlined the importance of the “’92 Consensus”, in which both sides agree that there is “one China”, with each side having a different interpretation of what that means. He said that the policy was like a password that could be used to turn on a computer, or in this case, ensure the continuation of cross-strait relations.
Hsia said that he hoped that Taiwan’s upcoming presidential elections would have no effect on the continuation of smooth cross-strait relations. He said he hoped the two sides can continue to sign agreements on the environment, trade in goods, and setting up representative offices in each other’s territory.