SEF’s new head hopes for early resumption of cross-strait talks

Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) sent a letter to its mainland counterpart on Monday to convey wishes of an early resumption of communications between the two sides.

The SEF sent the letter shortly after its board of directors and supervisors approved Tien Hung-mao (???), a scholar and former foreign minister, to serve as chairman of the quasi-governmental organization in charge of negotiating with China earlier that day.

Exchanges between the SEF and its mainland counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), have been stalled after President Tsai Ing-wen (???) assumed office on May 20.

China has insisted that Tsai accept the "1992 consensus" as the political foundation for cross-strait communications, but Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party have never recognized its existence.

The consensus as perceived by the previous Kuomintang administration is a tacit agreement with China that there's is only one China in the world, with the People's Republic of China on the mainland and the Republic of China on Taiwan free to interpret its meaning.

Tien, delivering a speech after assuming his new office, said that exchanges between the two sides began nearly three decades ago, and have helped created peace and stability despite twists and turns along the way.

"If the exchanges between the SEF and the ARATS were to be disrupted again, it will be a big loss to the people," he said.

He expressed the hope that both sides use wisdom, have a broad vision, and keep a positive attitude to overcome all hurdles.

Tien also said that Taiwanese businessmen operating in mainland China have responded enthusiastically to the SEF's invitation to attend a gathering for them in Taichung on Sept. 14, on the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

However, Taiwanese media reports have said that the heads of Taiwan's business associations in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou will not be present at the gathering because of political uncertainty in cross-strait relations.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel