A hotline connecting Taiwan and China officials will be set up soon. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council Minister Andrew Hsia said that it has already been tested and they are looking forward to the first phone call.
The hotline was one of the suggestions resulting from the meeting between Ma Ying-jeou and Xi Jinping in Singapore last month. The government hopes to see it fully set up by the end of this year.
Hsia also spoke on two topics that were a focus on the recent presidential candidate debates. He said that the 1992 Consensus - or one China, each side with its interpretation - has been the basis of developing ties with China.
He also spoke on the standstill on cross-strait agreements. He said the council sent a draft to the legislature on the bill to monitor cross-strait agreements, but nothing has been passed yet.
"The legislature has not discussed it. Who is responsible for this, I’m not willing to say but there is now no monitoring bill," said Hsia. "If we need this bill before any agreement can be effective or talks can continue, then cross-strait relations would be at a standstill. I don’t think anyone is willing to take responsibility for this, and this shouldn’t be happening."
Hsia said a cross-strait aviation safety bill is eligible to be effective automatically as it was introduced to the legislature three months ago after being signed in August.