Former Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou has proposed that unification between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should be achieved peacefully and democratically – rejecting the use or threat of force.
In a rare unscripted moment during a speech on the mainland on Thursday, Ma explicitly expressed his views on unification for the first time in his four visits to mainland China.
“My position is that the two sides of the strait should pursue peaceful and democratic unification,” said Ma, who was Taiwan’s leader from 2008 to 2016 and is also the former chairman of the mainland-friendly Kuomintang (KMT).
His current trip started on June 14 and ends on Friday.
He made the remarks at a Chinese cultural event in Dunhuang, a city in Gansu province, Taiwan’s United Daily News reported on Thursday.
He went on to clarify that unification should not be achieved through “the use or threat of force” and must “respect the will of the people of Taiwan”, according to the report.
The comments – delivered off-script during a carefully arranged visit – were addressed to roughly 180 attendees, which included Song Tao, head of the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office.
