Publications

TAIPEI. "Be careful what you wish for." This Chinese proverb came repeatedly to mind when listening to incoming Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou’s forward-leaning inauguration address that sent so many olive branches toward Beijing that even some of his ardent supporters feared he had "gone too far" and protesters almost immediately took to the street in Taipei warning against "selling out" to China.

The big question now is can Beijing, after hearing "no" for the past eight years, now take "yes" for an answer. Ma called on Beijing to join him to "launch a new era of cross-Strait relations," based on his previously articulated "three no’s" policy: no unification, no independence, and no use of force. He talked about "one China, respective interpretations" and the "1992 consensus" (under which both sides agreed to disagree over how to define "one China") and made several references to "our mutual Chinese heritage." He also committed to maintaining the status quo across the Strait, noting at one point that, "in a young democracy, respecting the Constitution is more important than amending it" his predecessor’s attempts to amend the constitution was a main source of tension between Taipei and Beijing.