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Taipei
Taiwan is preparing to re-engage “mutually positive” interactions with China in the “post-pandemic era,” the new Minister of Mainland Affairs stated on Tuesday.
Chiu Tai-san, 64, made the remark during a news conference held after he took over as chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), a Cabinet-level agency which oversees implementation of Taiwan`s policies toward China.
Chiu stated that in the post-COVID-19 era, “cross-strait interaction” with China “definitely will revive.” Chiu said President Tsai Ing-wen had asked him to prepare for “a new situation in cross-strait relations” including the resumption of regular economic interaction with China.
Taiwan has its own independent and democratically elected government, but Beijing nonetheless claims sovereignty over the island.
Tensions have risen over China’s suppression of democracy in Hong Kong and numerous Chinese incursions into Taiwan airspace.
Taiwan’s independence would mean war, China’s military said in January, adopting a tougher stance.
Asked about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s reported demand that United States President Joe Biden “cease indulging Taiwan independence separatist forces,” Chiu replied that “everyone here has different views on what ‘Taiwan independence’ means, so I’ll need time to clarify what he meant.”
Chiu added that “our bottom line” is “upholding our sovereignty and Taiwan`s democracy” and said the DPP government “has never had bad intentions toward the mainland.”
Chiu said both sides should pragmatically “build mutual trust to deal with higher level problems.” Chiu, a former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator and former justice minister, replaced former MAC chairman Chen Ming-tung, who was named by Tsai as director of the secretive National Security Bureau.
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24/02/2021
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