Taiwan's DPP reopens its mainland affairs office

A decision by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party to reinstate its 'China affairs department' has been seen as an important step for the pro-independence party to try to reach out to the mainland.

But analysts said the DPP would face difficulties bringing significant change to its relationship with Beijing. Re-opening the office should instead be aimed more at canvassing support from swing voters than engaging Beijing, they said.

In a central standing committee meeting on Wednesday, the DPP approved a proposal by its newly elected chairman, Su Tseng-chang, to reinstate the 'China affairs department'.

The DPP shut it down in 2007 when then-chairman Yu Shyi-kun adopted a 'normal country resolution' and merged the department with the international affairs department. This was done to highlight a proposal by then-president Chen Shui-bian, who viewed Taiwan and the mainland as separate countries on different sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Su, elected chairman in May after his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen resigned as penance for her defeat in the presidential election earlier this year, said that in a constantly changing world, it was necessary for the DPP to evolve in its approach to cross-strait ties.

He said the reopening of the office was intended as a goodwill gesture but it could also help the DPP fine-tune its approach to the mainland without compromising its existing core values.