Taiwan new leader has to abide by 1992 Consensus

With the leadership election in Taiwan scheduled for Saturday, both sides of the Taiwan Straits are waiting to see whether the island's new leader would continue to abide by the historical 1992 Consensus. The consensus, which commits both sides to the one-China principle, should keep serving as the political foundation of cross-Straits relations, because it is in the best interest of compatriots on both sides of the Straits.

Since the Kuomintang, which adheres to the consensus, wrested the island's leadership from the Democratic Progressive Party in 2008, favorable progress has been made in peaceful cross-Straits exchanges despite the global financial crisis.

On its part, the Chinese mainland managed to not only secure its economic well-being, but also boost its trade and investment cooperation with Taiwan, which has benefited a lot from the increasing number of direct flights across the Straits, as well as the flow of mainland tourists, students and capital in recent years.