Taiwan’s new Mainland Affairs Council chief may signal shift in policy on Beijing, analysts say

Chiu Tai-san, who is seen as a moderate, said he hoped the two sides could move towards ‘exchanges based on pragmatism’

Analysts see the appointment as a response to signs from the Biden administration and an effort to ease tensions

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Chiu Tai-san said the Mainland Affairs Council was likely to “make preparations and assessments to map out new policies and strategies” on Beijing. Photo: CNA

Published: 5:08pm, 23 Feb 2021Updated: 5:20pm, 23 Feb 2021

Former Taiwanese justice minister Chiu Tai-san has taken charge of the Mainland Affairs Council as part of a reshuffle, an appointment seen as an effort to ease tensions with Beijing.

Chiu has taken a relatively moderate stand on relations with mainland China compared to other politicians in the pro-independence camp, and analysts say the change could signal a move by President Tsai Ing-wen’s government to adjust its confrontational cross-strait policy.

Taipei on Friday said Chiu would replace Chen Ming-tong as head of policymaking body the Mainland Affairs Council. Chen will head up the National Security Bureau, whose former chief Chiu Kuo-cheng will be the new defence minister. He takes over from Yen Te-fa, who will become Tsai’s national security adviser.

Announcing the reshuffle, Tsai’s spokesman Xavier Chang said the changes had been made in response to a new phase of regional and international politics in the post-pandemic era.

At a ceremony on Tuesday, 64-year-old Chiu said the Mainland Affairs Council was likely to “make preparations and assessments to map out new policies and strategies” for dealing with Beijing.

Chiu, who has previously served as vice-chairman of the council, also called for Beijing to take a more pragmatic approach and set aside its insistence that the 1992 consensus on “one China” must pave the way for the resumption of cross-strait talks.