Outgoing Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Andrew Hsia says he hopes the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will pursue a pragmatic, rational relationship.
Hsia was speaking to reporters at the Legislature on Wednesday. Hsia and the rest of Taiwan’s Cabinet ministers will be leaving their posts on May 20 when a new government is sworn in.
Hsia said that President-elect Tsai Ing-wen has been consistent in her positions on cross-strait ties since before January’s presidential election. He also said both Tsai and China’s leadership have been clear in outlining their positions on the 1992 Consensus to Beijing. Under the 1992 Consensus, Taiwan and China agree that both sides are part of One China while maintaining separate interpretations of what One China means.
China insists on adherence to the consensus as a precondition for cross-strait ties. But Tsai has yet to acknowledge the consensus. Hsia said that cross-strait ties are important for the well-being of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. He said he hopes that the leaders of both sides will have the wisdom needed to resolve cross-strait issues.