Ma Ying-jeou's visit to the mainland: a valuable attempt to ease tensions in the Taiwan Strait

    According to media reports, Ma Ying-jeou, the former leader of Taiwan (former President of the Republic of China), will visit the Mainland in April 2024, traveling to Xi'an, Guangzhou and Beijing to participate in a series of activities, and may also meet with Xi Jinping, President of China and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The author had written an opinion piece commenting and praising Mr. Ma's visit to the mainland at the end of March last year.

    The author continues to hold the same view on the latest visit to take place. Cross-Strait relations have deteriorated even more in recent year, and the recent Kinmen ship collision and subsequent clashes have emphasized the importance of cross-Strait exchanges and maintaining peace. The author also releases this article again in the hope that more people will understand the motivation and impact of Ma's visit to the mainland and promote the peaceful development of both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

(The following content is the original text)

On March 27, 2023, former leader of Taiwan (former President of the Republic of China) Ma Ying-jeou arrived in Nanjing, initiating his trip to mainland China under the guise of "ancestral worship." Ma Ying-jeou is the first former president of Taiwan to visit the mainland, carrying significant symbolic weight and sparking widespread international attention and intense controversy.

In recent months, with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the formation and confrontation of the two major camps in the world (those supporting Ukraine's liberal democratic camp and those pro-Russia authoritarian camp), tensions in the Taiwan Strait have been escalating. Speculation about the possibility of mainland China using force against Taiwan has been rife, with various countries in the US, Japan, and Europe intervening in the Taiwan issue in different ways, leading to increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

In such a situation, Ma Ying-jeou's visit to the mainland with a delegation composed of many young students has sparked even more controversy.

In Taiwan, where anti-Communist and anti-mainland sentiments have dominated public opinion in recent years, most Taiwanese naturally hold a critical attitude towards Ma Ying-jeou's visit. They believe that, in the current highly confrontational situation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, Ma Ying-jeou's visit to the mainland constitutes an act of "selling out" and "surrender," undermining the morale of Taiwanese people who "resist China and protect Taiwan." Some commentators also believe that Ma Ying-jeou's visit amounts to presenting a "united front gift" to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which could be used and flaunted by the CCP to further infiltrate and eventually occupy Taiwan. Some commentators even resort to personal attacks, alleging that Ma Ying-jeou is paving the way for personal gain, seeking "rewards" from the CCP, and aiming for a semi-official position under CCP rule after Taiwan falls.

Of course, there are voices expressing understanding and appreciation for Ma Ying-jeou's visit to the mainland, but they are relatively few, mainly coming from Chinese officials and some Western individuals. Only a few members of the Kuomintang (KMT) in Taiwan have expressed support for this former president and party chairman. Overall, criticism outweighs praise. Among Chinese political opposition figures, criticism of Ma Ying-jeou's visit to the mainland is almost unanimous.

As a political opposition member myself, I have a relatively different assessment and hold a rather positive view of Ma Ying-jeou's visit to the mainland.

I have always had a favorable impression of Mr. Ma Ying-jeou. This is not only because his political stance aligns with mine, but also because Mr. Ma's character and morals are worthy of respect.

In the 1990s, Ma Ying-jeou was one of the few political figures in Taiwan who had a strong sense of Chinese national identity, full of national sentiment, genuinely cared about mainland China and its people, and deeply hoped for the country to achieve democratic reunification. During Ma Ying-jeou's presidency, the concept of "cross-strait kinship" was implemented in various fields such as economy, culture, and society, leading to unprecedented closeness and friendliness between the people on both sides of the strait. Although there were still political tensions, they were able to "set aside disputes and seek common development" to a large extent, and the level of peace in the Taiwan Strait and cross-strait cooperation reached a historical peak during Ma Ying-jeou's era.

Ma Ying-jeou also cared deeply about human rights, cultural education, and social livelihood in the mainland. Every year on the anniversary of the June 4th Incident, Mr. Ma would publish articles or posts expressing condolences to the students and people who died in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and emphasizing the necessity and importance of China's democratization. He also placed considerable importance on the education and growth of the younger generation in China and promoted exchanges and interactions between young people on both sides of the strait. During his presidency, various policies were introduced to facilitate mainland students studying in Taiwan, and cooperation between educational institutions in Taiwan and the mainland was promoted. This has greatly contributed to mutual understanding between people on both sides of the strait, especially among young people, and to the harmonious and friendly relations between the future generations of mainlanders and Taiwanese.

During his presidency, Ma Ying-jeou also issued a commendation to the Chinese-American writer Iris Chang, praising her for dedicating her life to writing "The Rape of Nanking," which raised awareness and understanding of the Nanjing Massacre among people worldwide. This reflects Ma Ying-jeou's love for the Chinese nation, his concern for the tragic history of the mainland, and his commendation and remembrance of those who have contributed to the Chinese nation within his capacity.

Throughout Ma Ying-jeou's active decades in Taiwan, whether as Chiang Ching-kuo's secretary, later as president, or as a civilian after stepping down from leadership, he maintained excellent moral qualities and noble character. Compared to other Taiwanese politicians plagued by scandals, Ma Ying-jeou is one of the few politicians with almost no blemishes, known for his integrity, approachability, and elegant speech. He can be considered a perfect man.

In conclusion, Ma Ying-jeou is a person who sincerely loves the Chinese nation, genuinely hopes for democratic reunification of China, and possesses high moral character. Such a person would not sell himself out or kneel before others for fame and fortune.

Ma Ying-jeou chose the current timing to visit the mainland in the hope of making the utmost effort to promote cross-strait peace and exchanges, reduce unnecessary hostility and miscalculations, and defuse another Taiwan Strait crisis.

Before this visit, Ma Ying-jeou repeatedly reminded the Tsai Ing-wen government in Taiwan to avoid escalating conflicts with the mainland as much as possible. However, in the tense cross-strait relations and the firm "resist China and protect Taiwan" policy of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government, Ma Ying-jeou's appeals had little effect. Nevertheless, Ma Ying-jeou has not given up on advocating for peace. His decision to visit the mainland this time was made after careful consideration.

As the first former Taiwanese leader to visit the mainland, Ma Ying-jeou's visit should have been of extraordinary significance and deserved a grand reception. However, upon his arrival in Nanjing on the 27th, he was only welcomed by a deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office, and the welcoming ceremony was quite simple, indicating a lack of enthusiasm from mainland China towards Ma Ying-jeou's visit. This reflects the awkward position Ma Ying-jeou finds himself in, trying to please both sides. However, this was likely something Ma Ying-jeou anticipated before his visit.

Nevertheless, Ma Ying-jeou resolutely embarked on his journey to the mainland, further proving his sincere commitment to promoting cross-strait peace and exchanges, regardless of personal gain or loss. His decision to lead dozens of young students to the mainland also reflects his consistent emphasis on education, nurturing new talents, and promoting exchanges between young people on both sides of the strait.

Although, in the current context of the Taiwan Strait and international situation, as well as the relatively unfavorable political climate on both sides of the strait, Ma Ying-jeou's visit is unlikely to change the reality and will have a very limited impact. However, it makes Ma Ying-jeou's visit even more rare and valuable, reflecting that even in the current precarious cross-strait and international situation, there are still people trying to facilitate communication and easing tensions to cool down the situation. This is not easy and deserves respect and appreciation.

As a writer from mainland China, I, like Ma Ying-jeou, also support the reunification of both sides based on democracy. Of course, regardless of the system, national reunification should respect the will of the majority of people on both sides, and should not be achieved through force. If war breaks out in the Taiwan Strait, it will only bring suffering to the people and is entirely unnecessary.

The current ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taiwan, although upholding freedom and democracy, does not care about the people of mainland China and has no intention of promoting democracy in mainland China. They only hope to maintain the status quo of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu. This is a narrow-minded stance. Moreover, if the mainland remains under CCP dictatorship, with its people brainwashed and manipulated, true peace in the Taiwan Strait is unlikely, and democratic Taiwan will always face the threat of authoritarian China under the CCP. Therefore, only when mainland China also achieves democracy, with both sides adhering to universal values, can peace be truly enduring.

The author hopes that Taiwan will have more people who, like Mr. Ma Ying-jeou, firmly believe in the universal values of freedom and democracy while also caring for mainland compatriots and being concerned about the suffering of over a billion people on the more than 9 million square kilometers of territory still nominally part of the Republic of China. They should strive to promote democratization and political pluralism throughout China, achieve the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, promote peace in the Asia-Pacific region, and contribute to global prosperity.