Beijing's top Taiwan official seeks 'joint answer' on cross-strait peace
Wang Huning urges dialogue as Taiwan's DPP enforces ban on official participation.
Wang Huning, the Chinese Communist Party’s fourth-ranking official, delivered a keynote speech at the annual Straits Forum in Xiamen, calling for a 'joint answer' from people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to maintain peace and stability. He described the current situation as 'complex and severe' amid accelerating global changes and rising risks in the Strait. The forum, designed to foster cultural and economic exchanges between mainland China and Taiwan, has become a flashpoint in cross-strait relations.
Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), led by President William Lai Ching-te since May 2024, has explicitly forbidden municipal and county government officials from participating in the forum, upgrading previous advisories into an outright ban. More senior officials were already prohibited. Despite the restrictions, Wang noted 'enthusiastic participation' of Taiwanese civilians, reflecting a shared aspiration for peace across the strait. The event underscores the deepening divide between Beijing’s push for unification and Taipei’s resistance.
- Wang Huning, the fourth-ranking CCP official, said maintaining peace requires a 'joint answer' from all sectors on both sides of the Strait.
- Taiwan’s DPP government banned local officials from the Straits Forum, escalating prior advisory restrictions.
- Tensions have been high since pro-independence President Lai Ching-te took office in May 2024.
Why It Matters
The escalating ban and call for dialogue highlight worsening cross-strait relations under the Lai administration.