Resolutely oppose 'one country, two systems': Taiwan President Tsai on Xi's China 'reunification' plan

After President Xi declared that China's reunification with Taiwan was "inevitable", President Tsai Ing-Wen said Taiwan "will never accept "one country, two systems".

During his address, President Xi had said that "China must and will be united" adding that it was "an inevitable requirement for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese people in the new era."

Xi further said that "one country, two systems" approach that would "safeguard the interests and well-being of Taiwanese compatriots".

However, Taiwan President Tsai who was elected two years ago refused to agree with the Chinese president. Tsai said that it would never accept the "92 Consensus" explaining that "92 Consensus"  "as defined by Beijing authorities really means "One China" and 'one country, two systems'." 

"Today's speech by China's leader has confirmed our doubts. The majority of the Taiwanese public also resolutely oppose 'one country, two systems'. This is the 'Taiwan consensus'," the Taiwan president declared.

Meanwhile, China took a jibe at the US over President Trump's recent signing into law of the Aria Act which sought increased US engagement in the Indo-Pacific and support for US allies namely Taiwan which included arms trade.

The act envisages a $1.5 billion fund to provide economic and security support to US allies in the region. The reaffirmed that cross-Strait disputes must reach a "peaceful resolution acceptable to both sides of the Taiwan Strait." 

China said the bill breaches the "one China" principle and the China-US three joint communiqués.

"It rudely interferes with China's internal affairs. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and strong opposition to the US's stubborn signing of this bill. We have already made stern representations to the US over this," China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said.

In the past year, China has repeatedly called the US to respect the "One China" policy even as the Trump administration has openly carried out naval exercise along the Taiwan Straits.

"We advise the US to pay attention to President Xi Jinping's speech this morning regarding the Taiwan issue, in which President Xi stressed that the Taiwan issue is China's internal affairs, and that it concerns China's core interest and Chinese people's national feeling," the foreign ministry said, adding,"brooks no foreign interference." 

The ministry further pointed out that it hoped the US would deal with "Taiwan issue with caution so as to avoid harming the general picture of China-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."