Beijing has announced that the cross-strait communication mechanism has been suspended.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office made the announcement on Saturday. The announcement comes after 25 Taiwanese nationals were sent from Cambodia to China on Friday to face charges of telecom fraud. Beijing rebuffed protests from Taipei, saying that cross-strait communications have been cut off since President Tsai Ing-wen took office on May 20.
Beijing has repeatedly insisted that Tsai accept the 1992 Consensus. The consensus is an agreement reached by representatives of Taiwan and Mainland China in 1992. Under the consensus, the two sides agree that both belong to one China, each allowing the other to hold its own interpretation of what “one China” means. So far Tsai has only acknowledged that the two sides did reach an agreement in 1992, but has not responded to pressure to accept the consensus herself.
Beijing has made it clear that it views acceptance of the 1992 Consensus as a prerequisite for continued cross-strait ties. But Saturday’s announcement marks the first time Chinese authorities have said that cross-strait communications have been suspended.