28.03.2023
Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou visited Shanghai and Nanjing on the 27th, but instead of being picked up by Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, or other high-level Chinese officials at the airport as expected by the media, he was only picked up by Chen Yuanfeng, deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and Shanghai officials. , showing that the Chinese government’s arrangements for his trip are also quite low-key.
(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Monday (27th) afternoon, starting his 12-day visit to China.But not as expected by the mediaDing Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and other high-level officials picked up the plane. Only Chen Yuanfeng, deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China, and Shanghai officials picked up the plane. Chinese official reports did not mention Ma Ying-jeou’s title.
The footage captured by the media showed that Ma Ying-jeou landed in Shanghai at 4:21 p.m. on Monday, and was accompanied by Chen Yuanfeng, deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China, Zhang Wei, secretary general of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, Sun Shengliang, director of the Liaison Bureau of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and Zhong Xiaomin, director of the Shanghai Municipal Taiwan Affairs Office. Waiting for officials to pick up the plane at Pudong Airport, but no high-level CCP appeared as expected by the outside world. In addition, there was no welcome configuration for the red carpet at the scene.
Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported that Ma Ying-jeou’s itinerary was set to worship ancestors and communicate. As for whether he will meet high-level Chinese officials, Xiao Xucen, executive director of the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, said recently that “it is up to the owner.”
Although China’s official media Xinhua News Agency reported Ma Ying-jeou’s visit in real time, it handled it very low-key. The full text only used 97 characters, and did not mention any title of Ma Ying-jeou, or the “Ma Ying-jeou” held in Singapore in 2015. Xi Hui” (or “Xi Ma Hui”), they are called “Mr. Ma”, but they are only called by their real name Ma Ying-jeou.
Xinhua News Agency reported that on the afternoon of March 27, Ma Ying-jeou led a delegation to Shanghai and went to Nanjing. Relevant persons in charge of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee greeted him at the airport. The report also said that it is understood that Ma Ying-jeou will visit Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, Chongqing, Shanghai and other places when he comes to the mainland to pay respects to ancestors, visits, and lead Taiwan young students to exchange.
Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou and his party arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on the afternoon of the 27th. The picture shows Ma Ying-jeou waving to the media
On the first day, the atmosphere was interactive and harmonious
After Ma Ying-jeou and his party left the airport, they went directly to the Shanghai Hongqiao high-speed railway station, and transferred to the “Fuxing” high-speed railway at 7:00 p.m. to Nanjing. According to the information obtained by DW, after Ma Ying-jeou’s delegation arrived in Nanjing, they directly stayed at the Nanjing Dongjiao State Guesthouse, which is the highest-level government reception residence in the area. At the same time, although the arrival time at the hotel was around 8:15 p.m., the officials still arranged the first dinner at the Dongjiao State Guesthouse.
The first dinner hosted by Chinese officials to welcome Ma Ying-jeou’s visit was hosted by Chen Yuanfeng, with Hui Jianlin and Sun Shengliang, members of the Standing Committee of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, Yang Genping, deputy secretary-general of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, and Lian Yueqin, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of Jiangsu Province. , and the head of the Security Corps of the Secret Service Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security of China is responsible for security, which can be said to be watertight.
However, according to the Taiwan Zhongtian News report, the chartered car of Shanghai Taiwan Office carrying Taiwan media did not catch up with Ma Ying-jeou’s high-speed train due to serious traffic jams in Shanghai and the driver’s inability to find a way. The next high-speed train goes to Nanjing. In addition, the Chinese government arranged for the media to live in the nearby Nanjing International Conference Hotel, so there was no media present at the dinner.
Liao Yuanhao, an associate professor of the Law Department of National Chengchi University who accompanied Ma Ying-jeou on the visit, told DW that during the overall itinerary and dinner on Monday, the atmosphere on both sides of the strait was quite harmonious. During the dinner, the two sides chatted from things in Taiwan to dishes in Jiangsu. Chen Yuanfeng was even able to recite the content of Spring Festival couplets written by Ma Ying-jeou.
According to Liao Yuanhao, although Chen Yuanfeng and Ma Ying-jeou were somewhat polite during the dinner, they also expressed their goodwill and pursuit of cross-strait peace in their speeches, and hoped that the two sides will work together in the future to continue to pursue cross-strait peace and return to the stable state of the past.
According to reports, Chen Yuanfeng said at the dinner, “Mr. Ma led the Taiwan government for eight years, and all peace across the Taiwan Strait will be recorded in the history of the Chinese nation.” Ma Ying-jeou regrets the current cross-strait relations and hopes that both sides can work together to make Cross-strait relations have returned to the stable state of the past.
Liao Yuanhao interpreted that from the atmosphere of the dinner, China also hopes for peace and stability in cross-strait relations. They also understand that it is not impossible to return to the peaceful state in the past, and the current state of cross-strait tension is not an inevitable result.
On the first day of Ma Ying-jeou’s visit to China, he arrived in Nanjing directly. The picture shows the crowd at Nanjing Xuanzang Temple (file photo)
Scholars: Being low-key is not necessarily a bad thing
In response to the fact that the reception level of the Chinese side is not as expected by the media, Professor Li (pseudonym), a Chinese scholar who did not want to be named, told DW that he thinks the reception is “regular, and the standard is not low.” Not necessarily a good thing.” In addition, this may also have the consideration of balancing the KMT.
Professor Li interpreted that because Ma Ying-jeou’s trip was set as an itinerary for worshiping ancestors, neither side wanted to make the political atmosphere too strong, “The overall logic is different from past political visits, just like the difference between a state banquet and a family banquet. “. In addition, Chinese officials may not want to give people the feeling of “driving high and going low”, “what if I fill up the specification, (Ma Ying-jeou) will come back to (China) in the future?”
Zhao Chunshan, an honorary professor of the Mainland China Research Institute of Tamkang University in Taiwan, was interviewed by the Taiwan Central News Agency on the 27th, saying that Ma Ying-jeou’s trip to China is a non-governmental exchange. The itinerary also avoided Beijing and tried to downplay the political flavor. Show politeness.
Zhao Chunshan believes that Ma Ying-jeou has the identity of the former head of state, and Taiwan’s presidential election is coming soon, so the atmosphere is particularly sensitive. Based on openness and transparency, the daily itinerary will be announced before departure. This people-to-people exchange can give positive meaning,Taiwan society can adopt a normal mind。
But Fan Shiping, a professor of East Asian studies at Taiwan Normal University, has a different view. He told the Central News Agency that Lien Chan, the former vice president of Taiwan, was the chairman of the Kuomintang in 2005, and went to China for a “peace trip”. At that time, Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, picked him up; Only the deputy of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council will pick up the plane.This is suspected of dwarfing。
Fan Shiping pointed out that the Horse Office should uphold the principle of openness and transparency, and explain to the public that during this trip,Who may Ma Ying-jeou meet with?it is not to let all the information have a sense of uncertainty, and to explain it publicly to the public in a timely manner can clear up the suspicion.
Subsequent trips are still possible
It is different from other Taiwanese politicians visiting China in the past, because Ma Ying-jeou has the habit of exercising and running in the morning, which also makes it more difficult for the Chinese official security. According to DW’s understanding, Chinese officials originally hoped that Ma Ying-jeou could use the hotel’s gym, but Ma Ying-jeou still wanted to go for a run in the street, so the Chinese side had to cooperate.
Professor Li explained that Nanjing Dongjiao Hotel has an excellent location, between Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Zixia Lake and Zhengqi Pavilion. According to local reports in Nanjing, the area around Zixia Lake and Zhengqi Pavilion is the pre-planned cemetery site chosen by former Taiwan President Chiang Kai-shek for himself in Nanjing. The places visited also have symbolic meaning.
According to DW’s understanding, Ma Ying-jeou originally arranged to go for a morning jog with the students of Dajiu School near Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing on Tuesday morning, but Liao Yuanhao confirmed to DW on Monday night that due to the bad weather and the temperature in the morning of the 28th was only 6 degrees Celsius, Ma Ying-jeou The first morning run in China was therefore temporarily cancelled.
Ma Ying-jeou is expected to visit Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum around 9:00 am on Tuesday, and he will accept media interviews from both sides of the strait on the way, and publish a public talk after his arrival in China to explain his position. Then I went to visit the Second Historical Archives in Nanjing. On Tuesday afternoon, I arranged a visit to the Museum of Chinese Modern History Sites, the former Nanjing Presidential Palace, and Rabe’s former residence.
According to the media itinerary obtained by DW, Chinese officials arranged for media from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to arrive at the Jinling Hotel in downtown Nanjing around 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday for subsequent interviews and filming activities, and asked the media to leave the venue around 5:50 p.m. The media predicted that on Tuesday evening, Xin Changxing, secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee of the Communist Party of China, would host a banquet for Ma Ying-jeou, possibly accompanied by other officials, in a closed-door manner.
Jinling Hotel is located in the urban area of Nanjing, next to the famous bronze statue of the father of the nation at Xinjiekou, Nanjing. It was also the hotel where Lien Chan, the former chairman of the Kuomintang, stayed in Nanjing when he visited China for the first time in 2005. According to DW’s understanding, Song Tao, Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China, has been on a business trip to Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province where Taiwanese businessmen gather a few days ago, so it is not ruled out that he will meet Ma Ying-jeou and his party at an optional date.
(comprehensive report)
Although Ma Ying-jeou visited China for the first time, there are still uncertainties in cross-strait relations. The picture shows a schematic diagram
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