This is the 121st issue of "Bay Area Lookout".
Ma Ying-jeou publicly shouted to Lai Qingde: Return to the "92 Consensus"
In April, Ma Ying-jeou led Taiwanese youths on an 11-day visit to the mainland, which attracted great attention from both sides of the strait. Public opinion on the mainland generally has a positive attitude towards a series of positive statements made by Ma Ying-jeou and Taiwan's youth, and hopes that Ma Ying-jeou will pass on the goodwill released by the mainland back to the island.
According to Taiwan's "United News Network", Ma Ying-jeou publicly called out Taiwan's leader-designate Lai Ching-te on his personal social media today (15th), calling on him not to take the road of "Taiwan independence", return to the common political foundation of the two sides of the strait - the "92 consensus", and continue to maintain exchanges with the mainland.
On April 6, Ma Ying-jeou watched the Ming Dynasty's manuscript "Yongle Canon" at the National Editions Museum in Xi'an. Source: Xinhua News Agency
On his personal social media, Ma Ying-jeou recalled the unforgettable memories of his trip to the mainland. He said that this time, he took 20 young students from Taiwan's "Dajiu School" to Guangdong, Shaanxi and Beijing, worshiped the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum, and also went to many top enterprises. This trip to the mainland left a deep impression on the Taiwanese students and allowed them to experience the Chinese civilization and culture.
In addition to reminiscing about the trip, Ma Ying-jeou also spoke specifically about his meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing on the afternoon of April 10. Ma Ying-jeou wrote that Xi Jinping said that although the political systems of the two sides of the strait are different, as long as they have a common national identity and political foundation, they can sit down and resolve the contradictions.
Ma Ying-jeou particularly emphasized that Xi Jinping personally communicated with Taiwanese youth face-to-face and listened to the ideas of Taiwanese youth, showing the highest sincerity and goodwill. Xi Jinping's parting words to the students, "Youth is used for struggle now, and youth is for memories in the future", which really moved me. Ma Ying-jeou said that after returning to Taiwan, some Taiwanese youths told him that Xi Jinping was like his own generation, and his advice would be the most unforgettable memory of his life.
Finally, Ma Ying-jeou openly appealed to Lai Ching-te, the leader-designate of the Taiwan region, hoping that he would see the hard-won warm exchanges between the two sides of the strait, and that he would cherish and pragmatically respond to the "olive branch" thrown by the mainland with the well-being of the people on both sides of the strait in mind. Ma Ying-jeou said that Lai Qingde is still more than a month away from taking office, and he hopes that he will abandon the road of "Taiwan independence," return to the "consensus of '92," the common political foundation of the two sides of the strait, and carry out various exchanges with the mainland in line with the one-China principle.
Ma Ying-jeou said at the Palace Museum in Beijing on April 9 that any act of "de-sinicization" will not succeed Source: China News Service
Ma Ying-jeou's writing does not have flowery rhetoric, and the whole text is full of real feelings. As a matter of fact, in the course of his visit to the mainland, Ma Ying-jeou's statement was intended to "knock" the incumbent Taiwan authorities-elect who were about to take office. At the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor in Shaanxi, Ma Ying-jeou called on young people in Taiwan to remember the roots of Chinese culture and the Chinese nation, as well as the pride of being a descendant of Yan and Huang. At the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, Ma Ying-jeou and Taiwan students said after seeing so many cultural exchanges between the two sides of the strait that the common language and emotional resonance between the two sides of the strait is constant by any deliberate means or ideology. At the Palace Museum, Ma Ying-jeou even stated that any "de-sinicization" will not succeed.
The words along the way all pointed to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which was "eager to seek independence", and some netizens even called Ma Ying-jeou "almost Tsai Ing-wen's name". Observers pointed out that after Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016, she not only refused to recognize the "92 Consensus", but also deliberately engaged in the so-called "de-Sinicization". As long as it is related to the mainland, whether it is history, people or values, the Tsai authorities will remove all of them, and try to erase the identity of young people on the island from the mainland. Ma Ying-jeou could not stand this anymore, and he frequently appealed to the Taiwan authorities to restrain themselves from the precipice, and twice led Taiwan's young people to the mainland to exchange and appreciate traditional Chinese culture in an attempt to save the situation.
Lai Qingde's recent statements and actions have worried many people on the island who are concerned about the development of cross-strait relations. At a time when the Taiwan authorities' negative attitude toward the "14 February vicious ship collision incident" was still being criticized, they once demanded that the Taiwan military continue to provoke and conduct a so-called live-fire exercise in the Xiamen-Jin waters, causing the people on the island to call out "playing with fire and setting themselves on fire." In addition, Lai Qingde has recently announced the list of personnel of his new administrative body. Public opinion on the island questioned that the new team had no bright spots other than "obedientness". Some analysts on the island pointed out that the politicians around Lai Qingde are "independent and independent", and he has retained many people from the Tsai Ing-wen period, which indicates that Lai Qingde will continue to follow the old road of Tsai Ing-wen's "resistance to the mainland" in the future.
At present, the island's society and economy are facing many challenges, and the people's will and will have changed. As a leader-elect who cannot represent the majority of the people on the island, Lai Qingde's personnel questionnaire to the people of the whole island is to continue to show loyalty to the "Taiwan independence" forces and to external forces that interfere in China's internal affairs. Huang Zhixian, a commentator on current affairs on the island, pointed out that the biggest challenge facing Lai Qingde is cross-strait relations, and "Taiwan independence" has left Lai Qingde with no room to solve it.
The successful 11-day visit of Ma Ying-jeou and his entourage to the mainland has undoubtedly made people from all walks of life on the island see the hope that the two sides of the strait will get closer again. Recently, public opinion on the island has frequently pressured Lai Qingde, urging him to abandon the "Taiwan independence" mentality as soon as possible and carry out dialogue and exchanges on the common political basis of the two sides of the strait. Zhu Lilun, chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang, said that the "Taiwan independence" promoted by the DPP will only harm the Taiwan people. The Chinese Kuomintang will send a delegation to participate in the next Straits Forum and the Cross-Strait Youth Forum to continue to strengthen cross-strait exchanges. Hong Xiuzhu, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang, also said that during his visit, whenever Ma Ying-jeou talked about the people and things that had fought and sacrificed for China, he could not help but choke up and be moved, showing his enthusiasm for the nation. Next, I will lead young people from Taiwan to visit the mainland and continue to establish deep emotional ties for young people on both sides of the strait.
Guo Zhengliang, Taiwan's former representative of the People's Republic of China, also said that Ma Ying-jeou has clearly stated on both the mainland and Taiwan that both sides of the strait are descendants of the Yan and Huang dynasty and the Chinese nation, and that disputes can be resolved by peaceful means. Zhao Shaokang, a well-known figure on the island, even directly called out Lai Qingde, saying that the door to cross-strait communication has been opened, and Lai Qingde should give full play to his wisdom and seize the opportunity, and not waste Ma Ying-jeou's painstaking efforts.
Taiwan's "China Times News Network" pointed out in an editorial today (15th) that on April 10, Xi Jinping barely had any strong words except for mentioning resolute opposition to "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and interference by external forces. He emphasized that both sides of the strait belong to the Chinese nation and should safeguard a peaceful common homeland, jointly create a better national future, build a strong sense of community, and realize national rejuvenation. This fully shows that the mainland is sending a strong signal of exchange to the island of Taiwan, and Lai Qingde should grasp the goodwill conveyed by the mainland.
Author丨Yang Zhaoyuan, the chief writer of Shenzhen Satellite TV Direct News
Editor丨Liu Liping, editor-in-chief of Shenzhen Satellite TV Direct News