Taiwan risks ties by denying Consensus

Both a Taiwan affairs official and researchers have indicated the island's "diplomatic ties" will likely continue to suffer if Taipei continues to shun the 1992 Consensus on one China.

An Fengshan, spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, China's Cabinet, said on Wednesday that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have achieved peaceful development of their relationship since 2008 based on sticking to the 1992 Consensus and opposing Taiwan "independence".

That's why they have avoided frictions in dealing with "diplomatic affairs", An said at a regular news conference.

But the relationship changed on May 20, he said, because Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party assumed office in Taiwan that day, and she has denied the 1992 Consensus.

An said Taiwan leader Tsai's refusal to support the Consensus has undermined the common political ground and political trust.

"The prospects ... and the achievements of the development of their relations have been through severe blows, and the impact has come in many aspects," An said. "The mainland has always upheld the one-China principle in dealing with Taiwan's 'diplomatic affairs'. Any attempt to create 'two Chinas', or 'one China, one Taiwan', is doomed to fail."

China resumed diplomatic relations with Sao Tome and Principe on Monday, after the African nation cut "diplomatic ties" with Taipei.

Liu Guoshen, director of the Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University, said Beijing is prudent in dealing with the resumption of diplomatic ties with former allies of Taiwan.

"Beijing puts the relationship with Taiwan first. However, if the tension between the mainland and Taiwan continues to grow, it is inevitable that Beijing will consider the requests for establishing diplomatic relations from former allies of Taiwan," Liu said.

Sheng Jiuyuan, head of the research center of Taiwan affairs at Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said there is an irresistible trend that Taiwan's "diplomatic allies" now hope to establish diplomatic relations with the mainland because it is in their political and economic interests.