Taiwan leader's pro-independence remarks selfish: scholar says

The Taiwan leader's latest call for abolishing Taiwan's decades-old Unification Council and its unification guidelines is a selfish move designed to only benefit his party and himself, said Xu Shiquan, vice president of the National Society on Taiwan Studies Monday.

The Taiwan leader's motive is to create confrontation between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits in the hope of staying in power, said Xu. Trying to damage cross-strait relations, peace and stability is not in the best interest of Taiwan, said the well-known expert on Taiwan issues, in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

Xu said, the general public opinion in Taiwan favors ending fierce political struggles and approves of more harmonious and stable cross-strait ties. People want to develop their local economies through joint efforts. The policies and deeds of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have opposed this progress ever since it took power, said Xu, adding this is why the DPP lost local elections last year.

The Taiwan leader has put forward radical pro-independence proposals, such as abolishing long-established unification policies and attempting to join the United Nations under the name of Taiwan, as a tactic to woo pro-independence fundamentalists in Taiwan, said the mainland scholar.

In the interview, Xu recalled the efforts made by the two sides since the mainland's National People's Congress issued its open letter to Taiwan compatriots in 1979. This was followed by the mainland's offer to resolve the issue under policies of "peaceful reunification" and "One country, two systems".

At that time the positive responses by Taiwan authorities to these mainland initiatives included establishment of Taiwan's Unification Council and the Straits Exchange Foundation.

Xu believes the Taiwan leader's continued radical pro-independence remarks will ruin his credibility.

Source: Xinhua