Former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou has redefined the One-China principle—on mainland Chinese soil.
Ma said in a speech at Hunan University in Changsha, China, on Sunday, “Our nation changed its constitution around 1997. In its definition, our country was divided into two regions: one is Taiwan and the other one is mainland, all of which belong to the ROC.”
ROC is short for the Republic of China, Taiwan’s formal name. It was established after the Chinese civil war.
The ROC had been formally recognized by the United Nations and many countries around the world as the central government of China even after it relocated to Taiwan post-war. That’s until communist China replaced Taiwan in the United Nations in 1971.
Chinese state media did not report on Ma’s statement. Ma’s remarks directly contradict Beijing’s stance on the issue. The Chinese regime considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and has vowed to take it under control by force, though the Chinese Communist regime has never ruled Taiwan.