TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The "1992 consensus" serves as a safeguard for cross-strait peace, former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said in a speech on Tuesday (Oct. 16).
Speaking to students at New York University, Ma said that because there are no alternative options, the "1992 consensus" still has its function, according to a Tai Sounds report. Taiwanese leaders must prioritize the safety of the people and cannot be passive in maintaining cross-strait relations, he said.
Even the most challenging circumstances will gradually change, he said. Ma listed two ways to resolve the current freeze in cross-strait exchanges.
First, he suggested Taiwan's leaders adhere to the constitution of the Republic of China and the Act Governing Relations between Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area. They should return to the "1992 consensus," which he said was the common political foundation for cross-strait relations.
This would rebuild mutual trust with China, and in turn, it would cease military threats to ensure the safety of the Taiwanese, the former president said. He also urged the U.S. and other like-minded partners to encourage Taiwan's leaders to seek mutual trust across the strait and initiate dialogue, rather than pursue Taiwan's independence or even turn Taiwan into a second Ukraine.
Ma accused the Tsai administration of using the deteriorating U.S.-China relationship as an opportunity to push for Taiwan's independence. He also pointed out that some recent remarks and positions held by certain American political figures indicate a tendency to turn Taiwan into "the second Ukraine.," which he said the Taiwanese strongly oppose.
Ma is in the U.S. leading a delegation of Taiwanese students from the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation's Dajiu Academy. They will meet with Brookings Institution and Heritage Foundation scholars as well as members of Committee of 100, a non-profit organization for Chinese Americans.
The group will also visit the National Committee on United States-China Relations in New York and attend a banquet hosted by Taiwan envoy to the U.S. Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) at the Twin Oaks Estate.
