Dead end for 'de-sinification'

Taiwan's main opposition Democratic Progressive Party, DPP, Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen speaks during a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, April 15, 2015. [Photo/IC]

As Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen and her Democratic Progressive Party have not recognized the 1992 Consensus and have not issued any statement in support of one China, there have been no institutionalized exchanges across the Taiwan Straits since she came to power.

Due to the DPP's pro-independence stance, such kind of frosty cross-Straits ties will likely continue and indeed deteriorate－this is the reality people on both sides of the Straits have to face.

The DPP's refusal to embrace the 1992 Consensus that there is one China has not dented Beijing's hope it will at least not retreat from what Tsai called the "status quo" achieved under her predecessor and refrain from any disguised moves for "Taiwan independence". Yet it is approaching the redline the mainland has drawn for the cross-Straits situation.

Tsai claims the island should wean itself off its economic reliance on the mainland and should diversify its economy, such as by developing closer economic ties with the United States and Japan and joining some regional organizations.

But Tsai should know that pursuing an "existence" free from the influence of the mainland will not succeed. There is only a dead end if she goes down that road and attempts to push for political or cultural "de-sinification".

Any misjudged estimation of the mainland's tolerance to separatist moves will simply result in cross-Straits ties repeating the turbulence they experienced under the former independence-minded Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian.

Whatever it wants to do, the DPP should remain aware the mainland is unswerving in its determination to fight "Taiwan independence", and its powerful capability, including its military, can stop possible outside interventions into cross-Straits affairs.

Any reckless "Taiwan independence" move will inevitably invite a strike from the other side of the Straits.