Taipei: Kuomintang (KMT) Vice Chairman Chang Jung-kung's argument at a forum in China that shared heritage be used to boost cross-Taiwan Strait ties has been criticized by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) for echoing Beijing's narrative. Ahead of the Straits Forum in Xiamen, Chang's delegation met with Wang Huning, a senior leader of the Communist Party of China (CCP) and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the KMT said.

According to Focus Taiwan, Chang addressed the meeting by highlighting shared cultural and historical ties across the Taiwan Strait, emphasizing common Chinese heritage and ancestral links between Fujian and Taiwan as a basis for closer relations. He stated that active KMT-CCP ties and people-to-people exchanges are key to maintaining peaceful relations and stability in the absence of official communication channels, which Beijing suspended in 2016 following the return of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to office in Taiwan.

These exchanges, Chang argued, deserve recognition and support from all sectors in Taiwan and across the region. He advocated for upholding the "1992 consensus" and opposing Taiwan independence as a correct position and direction. The "1992 consensus" refers to an understanding reached in 1992 that there is "one China," with each side free to interpret what that means. The DPP's rejection of this framework and its support for a sovereign Taiwan independent of the People's Republic of China led to Beijing cutting off official talks in 2016.

At the opening ceremony of the Straits Forum, Wang Huning reiterated China's adherence to the "one China principle" and the "1992 consensus," emphasizing peaceful cross-strait development, opposition to separation, and the promotion of exchanges and integration to advance "national reunification" and long-term national well-being.

In response, the MAC expressed deep regret over opposition figures "echoing the CCP's distorted narrative." The MAC argued that stalled communications result from Beijing's refusal to acknowledge the Republic of China, its imposition of political preconditions for dialogue, and its lack of a pragmatic approach toward Taiwan's mainstream public opinion. The council stated that certain opposition figures visiting China and echoing Beijing's narratives worsen divisions in Taiwan, weaken democratic resilience, and do little to improve relations. Their actions also wrongly suggest to the international community that Taiwan accepts China's preconditions for dialogue.

Now in its 18th edition, the Straits Forum, organized by China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) and the Fujian provincial government, was held under the theme "Expanding people-to-people exchanges and deepening integrated development," according to TAO. Taiwan's MAC has barred central and local government officials from attending the event, expanding a ban that previously applied only to central government personnel. Besides the KMT delegation, KMT lawmaker Chen Yu-jen of Kinmen County and representatives from smaller opposition parties also attended, local media reported.