Tension in the Taiwan Strait: Tsai Ing-Wen's Inaugural Address and Beijing's Response
Dr. Tsai Ing-wen will be inaugurated as President of Taiwan on May 20, 2016. Beijing has made clear that if she does not embrace the One China principle and invoke the 1992 Consensus as the basis of Cross-Strait relations in her inaugural speech, Mainland-Taiwan relations cannot continue on the constructive path they have followed over the past eight years. Speaking the words Beijing wishes to hear, however, would likely alienate supporters of Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party and might violate some of her own core beliefs. Every sentence of her remarks will be parsed closely in Beijing, Washington, and around the world.
Overview
Dr. Tsai Ing-wen was inaugurated as President of Taiwan on May 20, 2016. Beijing has made clear that if she does not embrace the One China principle and invoke the 1992 Consensus as the basis of Cross-Strait relations in her inaugural speech, Mainland-Taiwan relations cannot continue on the constructive path they have followed over the past eight years. Speaking the words Beijing wishes to hear, however, would likely alienate supporters of Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party and might violate some of her own core beliefs. Every sentence of her remarks will be parsed closely in Beijing, Washington, and around the world. Our panelists discussed Tsai's speech and Beijing’s reaction portend for U.S.-Mainland-Taiwan relations.
Moderator: Robert Daly, Director, Kissinger Institute on China and the United States
Speakers
J. Stapleton Roy
Founding Director Emeritus, Kissinger Institute on China and the United States
Bonnie Glaser
Vincent Wei-cheng Wang
Hosted By
Kissinger Institute on China and the United States
The Kissinger Institute works to ensure that China policy serves American long-term interests and is founded in understanding of historical and cultural factors in bilateral relations and in accurate assessment of the aspirations of China’s government and people. Read more
Indo-Pacific Program
The Indo-Pacific Program promotes policy debate and intellectual discussions on US interests in the Asia-Pacific as well as political, economic, security, and social issues relating to the world’s most populous and economically dynamic region. Read more
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