Mainland scholar calls for clear stance from incoming Taiwan leader

BEIJING -- A mainland scholar on cross-Straits relations called on incoming leader of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen to take a clear stance on the 1992 Consensus that endorses the one-China principle, in an interview with Xinhua on Friday.

Zhu Weidong, deputy head of the Institute of Taiwan Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said negating the consensus would disrupt the status quo of peace and stability promised by the incoming leader.

However, the new leader has indulged in rhetoric and word play, Zhu noted, adding that Tsai needs to be clear on the essence of the consensus.

Negating the consensus would make the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) responsible for sabotaging the cross-Straits status quo, Zhu said.

Adherence to the consensus is not only a matter of principle, but also a gesture of good will from the mainland, because the principle has been consistent. The mainland has asked no more from the DPP than it did from the Kuomintang (KMT) since 2008, Zhu said.

The mainland will never deal with a Party nor a leader who opposes the one-China principle and advocates secession, Zhu continued.

Now, "the ball is in the court of the incoming leader of Taiwan", Zhu said.