The Xi-Ma Meeting, a focus of world attention, concluded smoothly. Breaking a 66-year isolation from each other, the leaders of two sides of the Taiwan Strait made their historic handshake. Such a happening, which had still remained a fantasy or something unthinkable not long ago, now became a reality. The Xi-Ma Meeting has opened a historic new chapter in the development of cross-Strait relations, and at the same time declared to the world: cross-Strait problems require no intervention by any foreign force, and the Chinese people have the total capability and wisdom to resolve their own problems.
The largest "foreign force" comes from the United States. For the "historic handshake" at the Xi-Ma Meeting, Washington feels happy yet also worried, having a polarised mentality. On the one hand, the US is pleased to see the Xi-Ma Meeting take place. For the US, differences between the two sides on the Taiwan Strait must be resolved through peaceful means, and it supports the two sides to hold discussions and communication in this regard. When the news about the Xi-Ma Meeting broke, the White House instantly responded, saying that "We…welcome steps that are taken on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to try and reduce tensions and improve cross-strait relations". Echoing the White House, US State Department said the United States "welcomes" and "encourages" the two sides of the Strait to continue constructive dialogue on the basis of mutual respect. After the conclusion of the Xi-Ma Meeting, US State Department promptly reacted by saying that "The United States welcomes the meeting between leaders on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the historic improvement in cross-Strait relations in recent years."
On the other hand, the United States does not hope to see the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to get together too closely for fear of weakening its influence. After the successful conclusion of the Xi-Ma Meeting, US State Department, while expressing its "welcome", seized the opportune moment to reiterate US interests and show its existence by saying that "The United States has a deep and abiding interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and we encourage further progress by both sides toward building ties, reducing tensions, and promoting stability on the basis of dignity and respect."
Due to historical reasons, cross-Strait problems involve the US factor. Keeping an adequately controllable tense situation on the Taiwan Strait is in the best interest of the United States. Under such circumstances, US could be in its element to sweep the deck across the Strait. It almost becomes a regular pattern that whenever the situation on the Strait becomes tense, Uncle Sam would jump out to issue a threat to the Mainland for the sake of sustaining the situation of "no unification". Whenever cross-Strait relations tend to improve, the US would drive a wedge between the two sides by selling weapons to Taiwan. The US has only one central purpose, that is, to turn Taiwan into an "unsinkable aircraft-carrier" to contain the rise of the Mainland.
Had the US truly cherished peace on Taiwan Strait, it should have given an ovation to the Xi-Ma Meeting, because the leaders of the two sides across the Strait have mapped out the future direction for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations. Had the US truly cherished peace on the Taiwan Strait, it should have taken effective measures to say "No" to all elements doing harm to peace and provoking conflicts, forcing certain political forces on the island to give up the illusion of "Taiwan Independence", to stop advocating "one country on one side" and "one China one Taiwan", and to change their course as early as possible. Had the US truly cherished peace on the Taiwan Strait, it should have given up arms sales to Taiwan and done things effectively in favor of peace and development on Taiwan Strait.
However, all such things never happen, because the US is very unwilling to see peaceful reunification of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and very afraid of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It is not coincidental that [US President Barack] Obama will soon announce the last arms sale package to Taiwan during his term of office, amounting to about US$2 billion, which is said to cope with a crisis possibly arising on the Taiwan Strait in 2016.
Foreign intervention in cross-Strait relations is a historical sadness and national humiliation. The leaders of the two sides across the Strait being able to sit down together to discuss the great strategy of national rejuvenation is a victory of the great strategy, great strategic setting and great wisdom of the Chinese people on both sides. Xi Jinping always upholds the idea that "both sides of the Taiwan Strait are of one family" and regards the Mainland and Taiwan as a community of destiny standing together through thick and thin. In the Meeting, he further said that compatriots on both sides "are brothers who are still connected by our muscles even if our bones are broken" and of one family whose blood is thicker than water. The nation being strong and prosperous is a blessing for compatriots on both sides, while the nation being weak and in chaos is a misfortune of compatriots on both sides. Compatriots from Taiwan won't be absent in the Chinese nation's great rejuvenation.
The two sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to the Chinese people themselves, there is no need for foreign forces to dictate and give orders. Brothers quarrelling at home join forces against attacks from without. Joining hands to cooperate in reinvigorating China and rejuvenating the nation is the common aspiration and destiny of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese people have the capability to create history and the wisdom to mold their own future.
09 November 2015