Ma Ying-jeou urges respect from BeijingBy Dennis Xie / Staff writer, with CNAFormer president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday urged Beijing to respect the median line of the Taiwan Strait by immediately stopping its military intimidation of Taiwan, as such actions would only hurt the feelings of Taiwanese. Beijing should immediately stop making military provocations against Taiwan, Ma wrote on Facebook after Chinese warplanes in the past week have made numerous forays across the median line that divides the Taiwan Strait. Although it has never officially acknowledged the median line, Beijing used to respect it, Ma said in response to comments on Monday by Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin (汪文斌), who said that the line does not exist, because “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.”Former president Ma Ying-jeou gestures at a ceremony for teachers in Taipei yesterday. Beijing respected the median line and the feelings of Taiwanese, showing mutual trust and goodwill with the adjustments it made, he said. Respect for the median line is the most basic element for cross-strait peace, he said.

Source: Taipei Times September 24, 2020 15:56 UTC