Taipei: The Kuomintang (KMT) confirmed Wednesday it will send a delegation to Beijing from Feb. 2-4 for the first official think tank exchange with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), aiming to foster constructive cross-strait interaction.
According to Focus Taiwan, Deputy KMT Chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen stated at a press conference that he will lead the delegation. The group will include National Policy Foundation Deputy Chairman Lee Hong-yuan and around 40 experts and scholars. The forum is set to focus on tourism, industrial development, and environmental protection, with an aim to revive cross-strait exchanges based on a shared acceptance of the “1992 Consensus.”
The “1992 Consensus” is a tacit understanding reached in 1992 between the then KMT government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Chinese government. The KMT interprets it as an acknowledgment by both sides that there is only “one China,” with each side free to interpret what “China” means. However, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has never recognized the “1992 Consensus,” arguing that it implies agreement with China’s claim over Taiwan.
No details have been disclosed about a potential meeting between KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun and CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping. The forum, scheduled to take place on Feb. 3 in Beijing, will be co-hosted by the KMT’s National Policy Foundation and the Straits Research Center of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) confirmed the forum and emphasized that Beijing seeks peaceful engagement based on the 1992 Consensus while opposing Taiwan independence. The DPP criticized the exchange, with spokesperson Han Ying expressing concerns over the KMT’s alignment with Beijing, viewing it as a risk to Taiwan’s political autonomy and national dignity.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) reminded the KMT that no organization is permitted to engage in political agreements with China or discuss matters related to government authority without Taiwan’s government authorization.