A political propaganda Chinese official, Sha Hailin, is in Taipei to attend the 2016 Taipei-Shanghai Twin City Forum, making him the first high-ranking official to visit Taiwan in President Tsai Ing-wen's administration.
Sha said on Tuesday that an important basis of cross-strait exchanges and city-to-city exchanges is that they are “not conducted between two countries.”
Sha said Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je has said more than once since last year that he “understands and respects the 1992 Consensus” and that “there is nothing wrong with One China.”
In response to Sha’s remarks, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je said they are a “political reality” because “Sha, a ranking official, has to make comments like that.”
China considers Taiwan part of its territory though the two sides have been ruled separately for more than six decades. The “1992 Consensus” refers to a tacit agreement reached between the two sides in 1992. Under the consensus, both sides agree that there is only one China though each may have its own interpretation of what that means. However, President Tsai Ing-wen who took office in May has said it’s unlikely for Taiwan to accept that political framework.