President Tsai Rejects but Cannot Escape 1992 Consensus
By Chen Huei-wen,
United Daily News, June 24, 2020
The new stance on the 1992 Consensus taken by the reform committee of the Kuomintang (KMT) has stirred mixed reactions from former party chairmen. It seems that not only the “one China” principle has different interpretations, but the 1992 Consensus also carries different interpretation.
In her inaugural address, President Tsai Ing-wen emphasized that her administration would handle cross-strait affairs according to the Constitution of the Republic of China and the Act Governing Cross-Strait Relations. Professor Chao Chun-shan pointed out that the R.O.C. Constitution espouses a “one China” principle, and the Act Governing Cross-Strait Relations reflects a framework of “one country, two areas.”
In other words, despite the fact that President Tsai has refused to endorse the 1992 Consensus, cross-strait relations has functioned according to the 1992 Consensus since 2016.
In response to the 2019 New Year’s address by Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Tsai declared that the 1992 Consensus is simply “One Country, Two Systems” and even demanded no political party in Taiwan should mention the 1992 Consensus anymore. As a matter of fact, the 4,000-plus-word speech by Xi does not mention that the 1992 Consensus is equivalent to “One Country, Two Systems” anywhere. Is President Tsai’s smearing the 1992 Consensus for national interest or simply for her electoral gain?
Former President Ma Ying-jeou, who continues to support the 1992 Consensus, won the presidential elections in 2008 and 2012. 2020 KMT presidential candidate Han Kuo-yu, who also supports the 1992 Consensus, namely “one China, with respective interpretations,” won the Kaohsiung mayoral election in 2018, defeating his opponent Chen Chi-mai by a huge 150,000-vote margin.
To be fair, the background and circumstances of Ma and Han’s elections were unique and their victories had many contributing factors which might or might not include the 1992 Consensus. Similarly, the setback of the KMT in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections was not necessarily caused by the 1992 Consensus.
What the KMT needs is to thoroughly review the reasons for losing the 2020 presidential and legislative elections, not whether or not to sustain the 1992 Consensus. The 1992 Consensus has been smeared by President Tsai, and the KMT is unable to effectively defend and argue on its behalf. This is the KMT’s problem, not an original sin of the 1992 Consensus.
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Fredrick Chen maintains that Taiwan’s mainland policy should take precedence over foreign policy. The author humbly takes a step further to say that mainland policy should take precedence over any other policy. No matter which political party is in power, or whoever is the president, there is no way to avoid the complicated relationship between Taiwan and mainland China which is inextricably inter-twined with shared language, race, history, geography, culture, and economy. How to face and handle cross-strait relations is and will forever be the most challenging task of the president of the Republic of China.