Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou Criticizes Current Leadership in Bangkok Speech
August 4, Taipei: Taiwan’s former President Ma Ying-jeou has criticized the current administration led by President Lai Ching-te. Ma expressed his concerns during a speech in Bangkok, Thailand, where he was invited to speak at the 27th ‘Zhongshan Lecture’ series at the Chinese Association of Thailand.
Ma Ying-jeou criticized Lai’s administration for abandoning the ‘one China, with different interpretations’ position and adopting a ‘new theory of two nations.’ He called for a return to the ‘one China principle’ and previously established agreements to improve cross-strait relations.
Ma highlighted the increasing military maneuvers and provocations from Beijing, which views Taiwan as a breakaway province. He emphasized that Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949, but Beijing insists on its eventual reunification, even by force if necessary.
Earlier, President Lai Ching-te declared that Taiwan would make every effort to thwart China’s attempts to alter the status quo. Ma urged countries like the US and other friends of Taiwan to promote dialogue between Taipei and Beijing to maintain regional peace and prosperity.
During his speech, Ma shared that in his April meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, he discussed the potential suffering a war in the Taiwan Strait would cause. He expressed sadness and worry over Lai’s administration’s ‘contemptuous attitude’ towards Chinese culture.
Despite his concerns, Ma believes the chance of war remains low. He called on both Taipei and Beijing to focus on rebuilding mutual trust to safeguard peace in the region.
Doubts Revealed
Taiwan -: Taiwan is an island near China. It has its own government, but China claims it as part of its territory.
Ma Ying-jeou -: Ma Ying-jeou is a politician who used to be the President of Taiwan. He served from 2008 to 2016.
Lai Ching-te -: Lai Ching-te is the current President of Taiwan. He has different ideas about how Taiwan should relate to China.
Bangkok -: Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia.
one China, with different interpretations -: This is an idea that both Taiwan and China are part of one China, but they can have different views on what that means.
new theory of two nations -: This idea suggests that Taiwan and China are two separate countries, not just different parts of one China.
one China principle -: This principle means that there is only one China, and Taiwan is a part of it. China strongly supports this idea.
cross-strait relations -: This term refers to the relationship between Taiwan and China, which are separated by the Taiwan Strait.
regional peace -: This means keeping peace and avoiding conflict in a specific area, in this case, the region around Taiwan and China.
Chinese culture -: Chinese culture includes the traditions, customs, and way of life of people in China. It has a long history and is very important to many people.
