Taiwan has to choose between 'peace and war': Ex-President
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Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou condemns Taiwan’s current leadership at the end of a landmark visit to China.
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Former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou arrives at Taoyuan International Airport after concluding his 12-day trip to China in Taoyuan, Taiwan April 7, 2023. (Reuters)
Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said on Friday at the end of a landmark visit to China that the island will in the future have to choose between "peace and war," condemning Taiwan’s current leadership.
“Our administration continues to lead Taiwan to danger,” Ma said, adding that Taiwan and China could potentially share a “common political basis” which would prove to be beneficial to the Taiwanese people.
Additionally, he expressed hope that his visit to China will contribute to "Taiwan's future of real peace and safety."
Ma's visit took place during a period of tension with China heightened by a meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, during a stopover by the Taiwan leader in the United States.
Last month, a senior leader of Taiwan's largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), visited China and met with China's top Taiwan policymaker, his party announced on February 6.
It is worth noting that Ma served as the head of the Kuomintang (KMT) government in Taiwan for eight years.
The KMT had announced that its vice chairman, Andrew Hsia, would travel to China to meet with Song Tao, the recently appointed head of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, in a rare high-level meeting between Taiwan and China's senior lawmakers.
The KMT has long supported tight ties with China, and Hsia's visit was welcomed by China's Taiwan Affairs Office.
