Peace for Taiwan needs ‘joint answer’ from both sides, says top Beijing official

Beijing's top official for Taiwan affairs, Wang Huning, asserted that achieving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait necessitates a unified response from both sides of the divide. Speaking at the annual Straits Forum, an event aimed at fostering exchanges between Taiwan and mainland China, Wang described the current situation as complex and severe, influenced by accelerating global shifts.

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As profound changes unseen in a century accelerate across the world, the international landscape is becoming increasingly turbulent and complex, the situation in the Taiwan Strait remains complex and severe.

"The future direction of cross-strait relations, whether peace and stability can be maintained in the Taiwan Strait, and whether people on both sides of the strait can create a better future together are questions of the time that require a joint answer from people across all sectors on both sides," Wang stated. His remarks come amid heightened tensions following the inauguration of William Lai Ching-te, whose Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leans towards independence.

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The future direction of cross-strait relations, whether peace and stability can be maintained in the Taiwan Strait, and whether people on both sides of the strait can create a better future together are questions of the time that require a joint answer from people across all sectors on both sides.

The DPP has previously viewed the Straits Forum as a tool for creating divisions within Taiwan and has explicitly banned local government officials from attending, reinforcing existing prohibitions for senior officials. Despite these measures, Wang observed that the "enthusiastic participation" of many Taiwanese individuals demonstrated a common desire for peace and prosperity across the Strait.

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The enthusiastic participation of large numbers of people from Taiwan despite various obstacles, showed that maintaining peace and prosperity was a shared aspiration of people on both sides of the Strait.