Young Taiwanese urged to ‘remember the roots of the Chinese nation’ by island’s former leader Ma Ying-jeou
- The former president was speaking after a ceremony in the mainland province of Shaanxi to honour the Yellow Emperor, a legendary ancestor of the Chinese people
- Ma, who says he is on a ‘journey of peace’, joined Beijing officials for the ceremony, which comes at a time of heightened cross-strait tensions
Speaking after the ceremony – which took place on Ching Ming, a festival where people traditionally honour their ancestors – Ma said these shows of respect are “both a core value of Chinese culture and one of the virtues of the Taiwanese people”.
He added: “I also hope that through this rare opportunity, young people from Taiwan will remember the roots of Chinese culture and the Chinese nation, as well as the pride of being a descendant of the Yellow Emperor.”
Although Ma did not mention reunification, the official tribute from the Shaanxi authorities said “cross-strait reunification is a historical inevitability”.
The most senior Beijing official to attend the ceremony held in Huangling county was Peng Qinghua, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, who laid a basket of flowers. Song Tao, director of Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office, also joined Ma.
Shaanxi is one of the cradles of Chinese civilisation. In recent years the local authorities have raised the profile of the ceremony to honour the Yellow Emperor and other events celebrating the country’s roots in line with President Xi Jinping’s drive to promote Chinese civilisation and its long history.
Ma is on an 11-day trip to the mainland, which he has described as a “journey of peace”, accompanied by 20 Taiwanese students. He will remain in Shaanxi until Sunday, when he will travel to Beijing, and is expected to meet Xi on Monday.
Ma’s visit comes at a time of heightened tensions. Although he followed a policy of engagement with the mainland during his eight years in power, cross-strait relations have deteriorated since his successor, Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party, came to power in 2016.
Her successor, the current Vice-President William Lai Ching-te, will be inaugurated on May 20, which could see relations worsening further because Beijing views Lai as a “separatist” and “troublemaker”.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be brought under mainland control, by force if necessary. Most countries do not recognise Taiwan as independent but many, including the United States, its main unofficial partner, oppose any unilateral change in the cross-strait status quo by force.
On Wednesday, Ma visited the former site of the Huangpu Military Academy – formerly known as the Whampoa Military Academy – in the southern city of Guangzhou.
Set up by KMT’s founding father Sun Yat-sen, the academy is one of Guangzhou’s most important landmarks, having trained almost all of the KMT’s early senior officials and many Communist Party generals.
During his time in the city, Ma also visited a revolutionary ceremony to pay tribute to those who died in 1911 uprising against the Qing dynasty that helped pave the way for the founding of the Republic of China the following year.
Hau Lung-bin, a former mayor of Taipei, will visit mainland China next week and take part in another ceremony to honour the Yellow Emperor in Zhengzhou in the central province of Henan.
