Due to the power struggle between the US and China and Xi Jinping’s principles regarding the Taiwan issue
An expert has argued that no matter which ruling party or opposition candidate is elected in Taiwan’s presidential election to be held on the 13th of next month, there will be no return to the smooth relationship between the two sides of the Straits (China and Taiwan) before 2016.
According to Taiwan’s Central News Agency on the 27th, Zhang Wuyue, a professor of international relations at Taiwan’s Danjang University who has studied cross-Strait issues, made this claim at a discussion about Taiwan’s election held the afternoon before.
Regarding the reasons why cross-strait relations cannot return to the smooth state before 2016, Professor Jang said that there is a power struggle between the US and China powers and the existence of the five principles stated by Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding the Taiwan issue, the so-called ‘Xiu Dian (習五點)’. It was analyzed that this was because.
‘Xiu Dian’ are the five principles that President Xi mentioned in relation to the Taiwan issue in his speech commemorating the 40th anniversary of the publication of ‘A Note to Compatriots in Taiwan’ on January 2, 2019. ▲Together, promote the realization of the goals of national revival and peaceful unification, ▲Explore a plan for a two-system Taiwan, ▲Adhere to the one-China principle and safeguard the prospect of peaceful unification, and ▲Deepen the convergent development between the two Straits to achieve peaceful unification. ▲Increasing emotional intimacy between compatriots on both sides of the Strait and promoting consensus for peaceful unification.
Professor Jang argued that although cross-Strait relations cannot return to what they were before 2016, there will be differences in the level of pressure China exerts depending on which candidate is elected.
At the same time, he predicted that if the Democratic Progressive Party wins, there will be no negotiations between the two sides.
Wang Xinshen, a professor at the East Asia Institute at Taiwan’s National University of Political Science, also expressed sympathy with this argument.
Professor Wang argued that although the opposition candidates emphasize a balanced diplomatic relationship that is ‘pro-US and China’ (getting closer to the US and maintaining peace with China), it is very difficult to achieve this. However, he added that if the opposition candidate is elected, the possibility of military conflict between the two sides of the Strait will be greatly reduced compared to if the ruling party candidate is elected.
Taiwan’s presidential election is scheduled to be a three-way race between Lai Ching-de, the pro-US and independence candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, Hou Yui, the pro-Beijing candidate of the main opposition Kuomintang, and Ke Won-je, the centrist candidate of the second opposition People’s Party.
Source: Donga
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