Chinese President Xi Jinping warns newly elected Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen against “Taiwan independence” in the wake of the anniversary of the landmark meeting between the Chinese president and Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu.
On May 4, 2015, Xi and Chu convened for the first time since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 to improve ties between mainland China and the "wayward island" of Taiwan.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, the meeting marked a major step toward warming friendship between the leaders as Xi reminded both sides of the Taiwan Strait "to trust each other to maintain peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and work together to build a community of common destiny."
However, it seems like Xi believes that the incoming administration in Taiwan led by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) would bring this friendship to an unruly end.
Talking to a group of lawmakers in Shanghai, Xi declared that the mainland will not tolerate "'Taiwan independence' secessionist activities in any form."
"We will safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and never allow the historical tragedy of national secession to happen again," he said in another report from Xinhua. "This is the common wish and firm will of all Chinese people. It is also our solemn commitment and our responsibility to history and the people."
According to Reuters, this might be the mark of a significant juncture in the infamous "1992 consensus" that talked about Beijing's "one China" policy, stating: "Since 1949, though the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are yet to be unified, the reality that the mainland and Taiwan both belong to one China has not changed, and cannot change."
The warning comes as Tsai made her position on the matter clear, declaring that she would maintain stability in the ties with the mainland governed by democracy.
"What will be different from the past eight years is that the promotion of cross-Strait ties will have to be based on the principle of democracy and people's desires," the AFP quoted her as saying.