Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen appears to be searching for a way to end the year-long impasse since Beijing suspended official contact with the island in June last year. One analyst said Taipei was hoping the situation would change after the Communist Party holds its 19th national congress in autumn, a key leadership reshuffle that will mean new people to work with from the Beijing side on cross-strait relations. “Tsai’s reiteration that her government is devoted to maintaining the cross-strait status quo and her call for the two sides to find a new model for interaction are positive signs,” said Tung Li-wen, a researcher with Taiwan Thinktank. “It shows that she is still hopeful for an improvement in relations under Xi Jinping and doesn’t want cross-strait ties to deteriorate further.” Beijing reaches out to young Taiwanese with summertime sweeteners He was referring to previous government remarks that the island had been forced to revise its cross-strait policy after Taipei’s long-time ally Panama switched official recognition to the mainland in June. Taipei said the change was a result of Beijing’s political and economic maneouvring, as was also the case in December when it lost another ally, Sao Tome and Principe. Speaking at the closed-door Asia-Pacific Security Dialogue on Tuesday, Tsai said she would not change the cross-strait status quo and appealed for the mainland to consider a new model for cross-strait interaction that could benefit the stability and prosperity of both sides and the region as a whole. Experts from Taiwan, Japan and the United States attended the one-day meeting. On Wednesday, Tsai also sought to placate the mainland by offering her government’s help after a magnitude-7 earthquake hit the southwest of the country on Tuesday night, near the popular Jiuzhaigou National Park. “We are willing to help and provide all necessary assistance … to minimise the damage incurred by the disaster,” Tsai said in a statement. “As we send our condolences and concern to the victims, we also pray that people in areas hit by the earthquake can rebuild their homes as soon as possible.” Panama – China’s newest ally – sends security and trade envoys to Beijing for talks Beijing suspended official exchanges and contacts with Taipei shortly after Tsai, of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, became president in May last year. Tsai had refused to accept the “1992 consensus” and its one-China principle, which the mainland insists is the sole political basis for continued exchanges. Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province subject to eventual unification with the mainland, if necessary by force. It reached an understanding in 1992 with Taipei that the two sides can continue to talk and exchange as long as they support the principle that there is only one China, though each can have its own meaning of what that China stands for. Paraguay president’s visit throws Taiwan diplomatic lifeline Tung said the leadership shake-up after the 19th congress could create a “new atmosphere and new opportunity” to develop a fresh model for cross-strait relations. But mainland academics said the foundation laid by Tsai’s predecessor Ma Ying-jeou, who recognised the 1992 consensus, was good enough to maintain stable cross-strait ties. “Why bother to find a new model if the existing one works fine?” said Zhou Zhihuai, former director of the Institute of Taiwan Studies at the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. “All we need now is to use that to open the door.” Ni Yongjie, deputy director of the Shanghai Institute of Taiwan Studies, said Tsai should spell out exactly what type of model she had in mind and determine whether it would be acceptable to Beijing before making calls about the two sides finding a new way to interact.
