Former legislative speaker proposes new cross-strait narrative

Taipei, Dec. 8 (CNA) Former Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) unveiled a new cross-strait narrative Sunday, advocating for "separate governance without division" between Taiwan and China.

"The two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not subordinate to each other in terms of governance but share sovereignty without division (兩岸治權互不隸屬,主權同而不分)," Wang said at the launch of the Moral Peace Union, a cross-strait think tank.

Wang explained that his proposal acknowledges the reality that the two sides across the Taiwan Strait are governed separately while keeping avenues open for fostering peaceful relations.

Both sides should aim to ensure the safety and well-being of their people while respecting each other's political systems and ways of life, he said, calling for a pragmatic approach that acknowledges both history and current realities.

It was not clear whether Wang's formula was meant to replace the KMT's existing stance or the "1992 consensus," which refers to a tacit understanding reached in 1992 between Taiwan's then Kuomintang (KMT) government and the Chinese government.

The KMT has interpreted the "consensus" as an acknowledgment by both sides that there is only "one China," with each side free to interpret what "China" means.

That formula underpinned better relations between Taiwan and China when the KMT was last in power from 2008 to 2016.

But Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has never accepted the "1992 consensus" because it implies that Taiwan is a part of China, leading to frosty cross-strait relations since the DPP gained power in 2016.

Wang said that cross-strait relations, which once seemed to hold the promise of peace, have encountered many uncertainties in recent years and are now considered by international experts as a potential flashpoint for military conflict.

He attributed this to not only rapid global changes and ideological constraints, but also misunderstandings caused by the stagnation of cross-strait exchanges, adding that his proposal could help facilitate dialogue.