Exclusive | Taipei ‘foiled in bid to open back channel to Beijing’
Former premier of island says attempt to establish contacts without endorsing 1992 consensus was rebuffed
Taiwan’s independence-leaning government under President Tsai Ing-wen has tried to open “back door” communications channels with Beijing since formal ties were severed last year, but the efforts have proved fruitless, according to a former premier of the island.
Jiang Yi-huah said Tsai’s government had hoped to establish contacts with Beijing without the precondition of acknowledging the so-called 1992 consensus, but the mainland government has refused to give ground.
The consensus is a long-standing agreement between the mainland and Taiwan that there is only one China, but that both sides can have their own interpretation of what constitutes “China”.
Tsai has not publicly endorsed the consensus since her election victory in January of last year.
Jiang, who served as Taiwan’s premier from 2013 to 2014 and is now a professor at City University of Hong Kong, said: “From what I’ve heard from my friends in both the blue and green camps, unofficial communication channels exist. Until now, Taipei hasn’t made any breakthrough.”