Taiwan opposition leader Tsai Ing-wen pledges to maintain status quo with mainland

The head of Taiwan's main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Dr Tsai Ing-wen yesterday pledged her party would work to maintain the status quo between Taiwan and the mainland if she won the 2016 presidential election.

"The DPP's policy is very clear: cross-strait relations must remain peaceful and stable," Tsai was quoted as saying by the island's official China News Agency.

Tsai's pledge came after Barbara Schrage, the former managing director of the de facto American embassy on the island, the American Institute in Taiwan, called on the DPP to clarify its cross-strait policy. Schrage also said the DPP should not evade the "1992 consensus" issue and actively find ways to narrow its differences with Beijing.

Under the consensus, reached by quasi-governmental negotiators that year, the two sides agreed there is only one China, with each side free to offer its own interpretation. Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province that must eventually be reunited with the mainland.

Tsai said her party had expressed its stance on the "1992 consensus" on many occasions, regarding it as wishful thinking on the part of the Kuomintang and something Beijing has never officially accepted.

But it was important to maintain good communication between the two sides of the strait to avoid misunderstanding, she said, adding that such a process will help build mutual trust.