Onus on Tsai to maintain good cross-Straits ties

True, the number of mainland tourists who choose Taiwan as a must-visit destination depends on the market and facilities. But their number also depends on the political stance the island's leader and ruling party take. This, to some extent, explains why many individuals and entities that depend on the island's tourism for their livelihoods have urged Tsai to keep her commitment to maintaining the status quo in cross-Straits ties and not raise tensions.

The dangers emanating from the DPP's reluctance to fully acknowledge the 1992 Consensus can deal a big blow to cross-Straits ties and exchanges in the future. And the onus of keeping a lid on potential disputes rests squarely with the DPP, for which it should adhere to the historic 1992 Consensus and relinquish its "pro-independence" mentality after May.

As the mainland's Taiwan affairs authorities have repeatedly emphasized, the mainland and Taiwan both should take measures to boost cross-Straits economic integration, expand cultural and educational exchanges, and consolidate cooperation in tourism and religious affairs, on the basis of the 1992 Consensus and opposition to "Taiwan independence".

In other words, whether the two sides of the Straits can inject fresh momentum into the peaceful development of their relations and the exchange of compatriots, especially in terms of tourism, largely depends on the DPP's attitude toward the 1992 Consensus.

However, the DPP lawmaker's proposal to remove Sun Yat-sen portraits in Taiwan three months before Tsai assumes office shows that some overzealous "pro-independence" politicians are thinking otherwise. Such ill-founded attempts will not only lead to a sharper decline in the number of mainland tourists to the island, but also seriously jeopardize cross-Straits relations at a time when they can be further improved.

The author is a professor at the Institute of Taiwan Studies of Beijing Union University.