Observers have suggested that by showcasing Ma’s visit, China is sending a message to Lai and reaffirming its pursuit of peaceful reunification with Taiwan, despite escalating tensions that have caused concern among regional powers and Western nations.
Both sides sought to strike a conciliatory tone.
“There is no grudge that cannot be resolved. No problem that cannot be talked through. And there are no forces that can separate us,” Xi said.
04:15
‘Foreign interference cannot stop family reunion’: President Xi Jinping hosts Taiwan’s Ma Ying-jeou
‘Foreign interference cannot stop family reunion’: President Xi Jinping hosts Taiwan’s Ma Ying-jeou
Differences in political systems could not change the fact that the two sides were one country, he added, as “foreign interference” cannot stop the historic trend of a “family reunion”.
In response, Ma said, “we are all descendants of the Yellow Emperor, belonging to the same Chinese nation”, and war “would be unbearable”.
Ma returned to the island as a peacemaker and called upon Lai to take note of Xi’s “olive branch“, “confirm the one-China framework based on the constitution” and refrain from “walking the path of independence”.
Lai, meanwhile, has been busy filling his new cabinet, brushing off Ma’s stance as representative of the public. His choices, analysts said, have largely kept with Tsai’s policy, with no explicit desire to alter the cross-strait status quo.
Lai has named confidant Cho Jung-tai, a former DPP chairman and ex-cabinet secretary general, as prime minister.
Beijing bets on Ma Ying-jeou’s trip to help win Taiwanese hearts and minds
Known for his relatively moderate stance and skill for communication between rival camps, Cho has been tasked as mediator for a legislature where opposition parties hold the majority and might boycott or veto proposals from the DPP.
Most of the new cabinet members, particularly those within the national security teamare well-known political figures, analysts said, with expertise in managing the intricate dynamics between Beijing and Washington – capable of toeing Beijing’s “bottom line” while seeking closer ties with the US.
Wellington Koo, secretary general of the National Security Council, will become defense minister.
Tsai Ming-yen will remain as leader of the National Security Bureau, while Chiu Chui-cheng, the hawkish deputy secretary general of the semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation, will head the Mainland Affairs Council.
New faces include semiconductor industry veteran Kuo Chih-hui, who was appointed as economy ministry – a sign that the government intends to reduce economic reliance on the mainland and promote self-sufficiency in key industries.
01:41
Former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou calls for both sides of Taiwan Strait to ‘avoid war’
Former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou calls for both sides of Taiwan Strait to ‘avoid war’
Despite greater political tensions, younger Taiwanese are considered more open to the possibility of rapprochement, with both Xi and Ma emphasizing youth exchanges.
During his stay, Ma led Taiwanese students to pay tribute at the Huanghuagang Martyrs’ Cemetery and the former home of Sun Yat-sen – modern China’s founding father – in Guangzhou.
Other historic sites include Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum in Xian, as well as the Great Wall and Marco Polo Bridge sites in Beijing. The latter still bears scars from the Japanese invasion during World War II.
Observers said young Taiwanese could show more willingness to change their perceptions of the mainland after first-hand observations and interactions with locals.
00:48
Former Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou departs to visit mainland China
Former Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou departs to visit mainland China
After Ma’s trip, more KMT heavyweights were invited to tour the mainland. Ex-Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin attended a ceremony to honor the Yellow Emperor in Henan province.
Incumbent KMT vice-chairman Sean Lien will also visit the mainland in June for the Cross-Strait Forum, while the party’s former chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu will lead 200 young Taiwanese on a trip to Zhejiang province.
And despite the KMT and Beijing’s best efforts, the DPP has moved to chip away at historical links with mainland China.
Earlier this week, Taiwan’s interior ministry said it would swiftly remove more than 760 remaining statues of Chiang Kai-shek. Chiang, superintendent of the Whampoa Military Academy, led KMT troops to Taiwan and set up an interim government in 1949 after being defeated by the Communists on the mainland.
Taiwan’s KMT risks irrelevance as it faces pressure for a new cross-strait stance
