Beijing pledges to lift curbs on Taiwan travel but waits for cue from William Lai

Travel between the island and the mainland has become increasingly limited since 2019 as cross-strait tensions triggered restrictions. “We sincerely invite Taiwan compatriots to visit the mainland more often, and we are also happy to see mainland people visit the treasured island of our motherland,” Xi said, adding the exchanges could “promote trust and forge … Read more

Taiwan’s president-elect calls for ‘healthy dialogues’ with Beijing in party-to-party talks

His remarks came amid soaring cross-strait tensions. Beijing has denounced Lai as a “troublemaker” and an “obstinate separatist”, and has tried to downplay the significance of the ruling party’s electoral victory. The DPP won just 40 per cent of the ballot and lost its majority in the legislature. Earlier this month, Taiwan’s former leader Ma … Read more

Taiwan will tear down all remaining statues of Chiang Kai-shek in public spaces

Taiwan’s government will remove all remaining statues of late president Chiang Kai-shek from public spaces in what is seen as a bid to erase his legacy and the historical link with mainland China. Chiang ruled the island for nearly three decades until his death in 1975. He had led his Nationalist or Kuomintang troops to … Read more

Ma Ying-jeou’s mainland China trip shows he’s Beijing’s best hope to win Taiwanese hearts and minds

“Even though our political systems and perspectives may differ from those of the mainland, we are all descendants of the Yellow Emperor, belonging to the same Chinese nation,” Ma said upon returning to Taiwan on Thursday, wrapping up a trip he dubbed a “journey of peace”. “I also hope that the young people of Taiwan … Read more

President Xi Jinping meets Taiwan’s Ma Ying-jeou in historic first, 9 years after landmark Singapore handshake

Wednesday’s talks come as Ma wraps up an 11-day “journey of peace” to the mainland, following a landmark visit just over a year ago. In opening remarks made in the presence of the press, both Xi and Ma sought to strike a conciliatory tone despite the prolonged cross-strait tensions. Referring to his guest as “Mister … Read more

Taiwan’s former leader Ma Ying-jeou rejects Japan’s claims to Diaoyu Islands during mainland China trip

Tokyo claims the Diaoyus belong to the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, which includes the area once known as Ryukyu. However, Beijing has long disputed the notion that the Diaoyus were part of the Ryukyu kingdom. Okinawa or Ryukyu? The prefecture on the front line of China-Japan ties Liu Chengyong, director of the China National Archives … Read more

Young Taiwanese urged to ‘remember the roots of the Chinese nation’ by island’s former leader Ma Ying-jeou

On Thursday, Ma visited the northwestern province of Shaanxi to pay tribute to the Yellow Emperor, a legendary ruler from 5,000 years ago who is considered an ancestor of the Chinese people. Speaking after the ceremony – which took place on Ching Ming, a festival where people traditionally honour their ancestors – Ma said these … Read more

‘President did not dare attend’: Taiwan opposition questions Tsai Ing-wen’s absence from Taiping pier ceremony

Tsai, of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, has come under fire from opposition legislators for not taking the opportunity to uphold the island’s claim over Taiping. “We all know clearly that we have spent NT$1.7 billion (US$53 million) in [renovating] the pier at Taiping and an inauguration ceremony is held there today …. But President … Read more

Fatal coastguard chase: Taiwan blames Beijing’s lack of enforcement on illegal fishing boats

Taiwan has accused Beijing of inaction on unlicensed boats from mainland China, saying the failure was the ultimate cause of an encounter that led to the deaths of two fishermen in waters off a Taiwan-controlled defence outpost last month. The two mainland men were among four on a high-powered fishing boat that overturned during a … Read more

Ex-president Ma Ying-jeou accused by former aide of being indifferent to stopping Taiwan-centric culture taking root on island

“Many offered constructive advice to Ma when he ran for president [in 2008], but after he took office, it seemed he was busy with his administration and stopped short of correcting the misconceptions of the previous years … Many people asked him to reset the guideline changes, but he appeared indifferent,” Su wrote. Su also … Read more