'92 Consensus' at Chinese Academic Forum

Chinese academics at a Cross-Strait Relations Academic Conference organized by Xiamen University have blamed the Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) administration’s refusal to acknowledge the “92 Consensus” as the cause of deteriorating cross-Strait relations, Central News Agency reports.

Liu Guoshen (劉國深), director of Xiamen University’s Taiwan Studies Institute, told the conference he hopes the Tsai administration will acknowledge the so-called “92 Consensus” so there can be “peaceful cross-strait developments."

A number of analysts have observed, both openly and behind closed doors, that by insisting on President Tsai recognizing the consensus, Beijing has backed itself into a corner and undermined communication between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwanese fishermen, Phoenix TV Reporters on Taiping Island

Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV journalists boarded boats and conducted live interviews of Taiwanese fishermen who traveled to Taiping Island (Itu Aba) earlier this week, causing a controversy. Many asked why only Phoenix TV journalists were allowed onboard the fishing boats traveling to Taiping in the South China Sea, as well as whether the foreign journalists posed security risks to military/Coast Guard installations on Taiping.

Huang Jiatung (黃家騰), one of the journalists involved, said they were allowed to investigate because members of his team had acquired seamen licenses, Central News Agency reported.

Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration confirmed that the journalists were licensed seamen. However, it said that the boats with the journalists on board were barred from landing on Taiping Island, United Daily News reported.

Taiwanese talent in China

On July 25, China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) dispelled rumors that the Chinese government was actively seeking to attract Taiwanese talent by offering prize money and free offices and residence, Central News Agency reported.

“This is far-fetched,” TAO spokesperson Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) said.

Ma said mechanisms to reward and subsidize Taiwanese entrepreneurs have been set up by local governments throughout China. However, most of these programs only accept already-successful businesses.

Asked whether these programs targeted Taiwanese entrepreneurs, Ma said that similar programs existed for entrepreneurs from around the globe, adding that the Chinese market is vast and offers "immense" entrepreneurship potential. Ma also said that Taiwan had a solid education system and decades of experience in economic growth, making Taiwanese talent attractive.

“If they had to choose, the mainland [sic] should be the top choice for Taiwanese youth, even from an objective perspective,” Ma said.

First Editor: Olivia Yang
Second Editor: J. Michael Cole