TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The CEO of the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation (馬英九基金會), Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑), revealed on Thursday (Dec. 12) that President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) privately supports cross-strait exchanges despite internal disagreements within the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨). This revelation comes amid heightened scrutiny of Taiwan-China relations and recent military exercises in the Taiwan Strait.
Hsiao criticized the Mainland Affairs Council's (MAC, 陸委會) request for additional documentation from the Taipei City Government regarding the Taipei-Shanghai Twin-city Forum (雙城論壇). He labeled this as an obstruction tactic by the Lai administration. Hsiao cited an instance where Strait Exchange Foundation (SEF, 海基會) Chairman Wu Feng-shan (吳豊山) privately asked President Lai about his views on cross-strait exchanges. Lai responded that he certainly supports them.
Hsiao expressed confusion over the conflicting stances within the government. He noted that the MAC and the SEF's actions contradict Lai's position. For instance, SEF Secretary-General Lo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) has advised Taiwanese citizens against traveling to China. Hsiao remarked that before the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Trump, the DPP struggled to grasp future developments, leading to internal divisions. One faction advocates a tougher stance against China, while another believes in maintaining exchanges while observing U.S. policy shifts.
Hsiao cited MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正), a long-time cross-strait scholar known for his moderate views, and Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑), who is more hawkish and has been restricting the Twin-city Forum. This internal discord reflects the government's confusing policy directions.
The Ma Ying-jeou Foundation recently invited Chinese students to visit Taiwan. Former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) will lead a Taiwanese student delegation to China next week. Additionally, the MAC approved the Twin-city Forum on Wednesday, indicating frequent cross-strait exchanges. However, China's recent military drills in the Taiwan Strait have raised concerns about regional stability.
