Chinese nationals hold a board saying "Tsai Ing-wen is big traitor of China" to protest Tsai's transit trip on March 29, 2023 outside the hotel where she was staying in Manhattan, New York. Photo: VCG

Former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party Ma Ying-jeou's visit to the mainland fully demonstrates that the 1992 Consensus is the key plank for the peaceful development of both sides of the Taiwan Straits, a spokesperson of Taiwan Affairs Office of State Council said on Wednesday, while the transit of Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen through the USonly reveals the essence of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is to  sacrifice the public welfare for their own political aims.

Ma's trip played an active role in promoting exchanges between people on the two sides of the Taiwan Straits and the peaceful development of the relationship between the two sides, Zhu Fenglian said at a routine press conference.   

She noted that the trip proves that the 1992 Consensus is the key plank  for the peaceful development of both sides of the Taiwan Straits and the mainland sincerely hopes that the two sides could stick to the political base of the consensus and meet each other halfway.

Ma's visit to the mainland between March 27 and April 7 concluded almost at the same time as secessionist Taiwan regional leader Tsai's  provocative meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy took place, which multiple Chinese authorities issued stern warnings against while vowing countermeasures would ensue. 

On the contrary to the heated discussion and applause over Ma's visit in the mainland, Tsai's transit through the US encountered rebukes and strong opposition from Chinese and anti-war activities in the US.

Zhu said that the DPP misuses Taiwan people's hard-earned money to seek a so-called diplomatic breakthrough and purchase weapons to resist reunification. This time's transit is also expensively costly. 

The money that should have been used to improve wellbeing of the people and develop the island's economy was instead used to gilt their political efforts to advance Taiwan secession, Zhu said, noting that the people in the island now have a clearer insight into the DPP's willingness to sacrifice public welfare for their own political aims. 

After Tsai returned to the island of Taiwan on Friday following her meeting with McCarthy in California on Wednesday, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command carried out combat alert patrols and "Joint Sword" exercises encircling the Taiwan island, continuing to pressure "Taiwan independence" forces and safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The patrols and exercises are a serious warning to the collusion and provocation of "Taiwan independence" secessionists and external forces, as well as a necessary move to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Zhu noted. 

During the PLA drills, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul said on Saturday the US would help provide Taiwan armed forces training and expedite delivery of weapons. In response, Zhu said that some people in the US keep sending the wrong signals to secessionist forces on Taiwan island, which will only damage peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits.  

She urged the US to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiqués and stop any form of official interaction and military exchanges between the US and the island of Taiwan. 

Global Times