Mainland warns cross-Strait relations undermined without 1992 Consensus

Cross-Strait relations will face a serious setback if the 1992 Consensus is not the political foundation, a mainland spokesperson warned Wednesday.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson with the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks in response to the question whether a new hotline, between mainland and Taiwan chiefs of cross-Strait affairs, will be suspended after the island's leadership election on Jan. 16.

The hotline, which was launched on Dec. 30, aims to facilitate communication on important and urgent cross-Strait problems, allowing the chief officials to speak directly.

Cross-Strait relations have achieved progress thanks to the common ground of upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposition of "Taiwan independence," Ma said at a press conference.

If the two sides maintain this political foundation, the progress is safe, he stressed.

As far as he knew, Ma said that the two sides have not spoken on the hotline lately.

Commenting on the proposal from Ker Chien-ming, a senior legislator with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), that the two sides should reopen the negotiation on the already-signed service trade agreement, Ma said the mainland's first priority was the political foundation of cross-Strait talks should be upheld and the authority of signed agreements safeguarded.

The two sides have held 12 rounds of negotiation on the commodity trade agreement since 2011.

Whether the negotiation will continue depends on future communication and cross-Strait ties, Ma said. Endit