Although he is visiting in a private capacity, the visit of Ma Ying-jeou to the Chinese mainland on Monday has still captured much attention as the former Taiwan leader's trip comes at a time when cross-Straits tensions are running high.
Former Taiwan regional leader Ma Ying-jeou landed in Shanghai on Monday afternoon, kicking off an ancestral trip in the mainland, which experts viewed as being of special significance to easing the tensions across the Taiwan Straits and enhancing exchanges. Furthermore, Ma s itinerary shows the deep historical, political and cultural ties between Taiwan and the mainland, outlining the fact that the two sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one and the same China.
The Chinese mainland welcomes former Taiwan regional leader Ma Ying-jeou s visit and is willing to offer necessary assistance for his trip, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said in a release on Monday.
Under the clear terms of the Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. is obligated to provide Taiwan with the hardware and services necessary for its defense. This obligation is a critical component of U.S. policy in the Western Pacific, as it ensures that, in the event of a cross-Strait conflict, Taiwan will not be overwhelmed by a technologically superior People’s Liberation Army. In order to meet this obligation, the U.S. should provide Taiwan with the equipment necessary to help it secure control of its own airspace. Failure to do so will only spark uncertainty about America’s resolve to meet its global commitments, uncertainty that will only further embolden an already confident China.
The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council on Wednesday urged the Taiwan island s secessionist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities to take practical measures and remove unilateral barriers to cross-Straits exchanges, while stressing that the Chinese mainland will continue to promote the resumption and expansion of cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation in various fields.