During the 40-minute talks, Ma Ying-jeou called on the two sides of the strait to avoid war; as soon as the words ended, the Taiwan authorities asked for a dialogue with the mainland. What did Ma Ying-jeou discuss with the mainland's top leaders, and what impact will this meeting have on cross-strait relations?
According to CCTV News, at about 4 p.m. on April 10, Ma Ying-jeou and his entourage, who were visiting the mainland, were met by high-level officials of the mainland in the East Hall of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. It is reported that this is the second meeting between the mainland and Ma Ying-jeou at the highest level after 2015, and it is also the highest-level reception given by the mainland to Taiwan visitors at a time when the situation in the Taiwan Strait continues to heat up.
Judging from the official information, the talks revolved around the three major themes of the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, and youth exchanges, and based on the "consensus of '92" and opposing "Taiwan independence," the two sides of the strait expounded the aspirations of the compatriots on both sides of the strait to be linked by blood, work hand in hand, and jointly promote the development and prosperity of the Chinese nation.
In view of the escalating situation in the Taiwan Strait in recent times, Ma Ying-jeou also called for avoiding war in his speech, saying that if a war breaks out between the two sides of the strait, it will be an unbearable burden for the Chinese nation. He believed that the compatriots on both sides of the strait will definitely have enough wisdom to peacefully handle various disputes and avoid going into conflict.
Overall, it was an in-depth and harmonious meeting, and many of the "small details" highlighted the "sincerity" of communication between the two sides. It has been learned that at the beginning of the talks, Ma Ying-jeou had a 16-second handshake with the mainland's top officials, and the two sides exchanged greetings, and the atmosphere at the scene was quite harmonious. During the talks, the mainland made an exception to allow young Taiwan youths accompanying Ma Ying-jeou to attend the meeting and make speeches, so that the theme of cross-strait youth exchanges could be truly implemented.
Some analysts believe that although Ma Ying-jeou no longer holds an important post, the mainland's attention to him and his visit has not declined. Compared with the DPP authorities, who refuse to "speak well," the mainland side attaches more importance to the people of insight on the island represented by Ma Ying-jeou and the young students on the island, and hopes that their visits will add more positive elements to cross-strait relations, contribute to cross-strait communication and cooperation, and contribute to the realization of national rejuvenation.
Some experts in the industry pointed out that the mainland side still spoke highly of Ma Ying-jeou's visit and affirmed the latter's efforts at a time when the political situation on the island is becoming increasingly grim and relations in the Taiwan Strait are highly tense. From the mainland's point of view, only by firmly guarding the common homeland of the Chinese nation, resolutely working together to create the lasting well-being of the Chinese nation, firmly forging the sense of community of the Chinese nation, and resolutely realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation can we create a good external environment for the return of peace to cross-strait relations; and only by deepening the sense of identity of compatriots on both sides of the strait can we thwart the sinister intentions of the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.
Generally speaking, both Ma Ying-jeou's call to avoid war and the mainland's ardent hope for promoting peaceful reunification between the two sides of the strait and deepening cross-strait communication and exchanges mean to "remind" the DPP authorities and advise the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces on the island to rein in from the precipice. And this goodwill has obviously been captured by the DPP. According to the news, Taiwan's foreign affairs department said in a recent statement that it hopes to resume dialogue with the mainland under the premise of "reciprocity" to resolve differences and resolve existing problems.
Some analysts have pointed out that the reason why the Taiwan authorities chose to release the signal of communication on the occasion of Ma Ying-jeou's visit to the mainland is probably out of consideration for easing cross-strait relations. For Lai Qingde, who is about to take office, only a relatively stable situation in the Taiwan Strait will be conducive to his next ruling career. It is precisely for this reason that the DPP needs to take the initiative to show goodwill to the mainland and maintain the situation in the Taiwan Strait in a relatively stable state.