Taipei [Taiwan], August 4 : Taiwan's former President Ma Ying-jeou criticised the current president Lai Ching-te's administration for abandoning the "one China, with different interpretations" position and adopting a "new theory of two nations", Taiwan News reported.
Taiwan's former President was giving a speech in Bangkok, Thailand on Sunday, where he criticised Lai's administration and called for renewed efforts at cross-strait diplomacy.
Ma was invited to speak at the 27th "Zhongshan Lecture" series at the Chinese Association of Thailand, where he shared his views on the current cross-strait relationship, reported UDN.
Ma called on the current government to reconsider its position and return to the "one China principle" and previously established agreements and policies governing cross-strait relations.
In recent years, Taiwan has increasingly faced military manoeuvres and provocations from Beijing, which views the island as a breakaway province and has not ruled out the use of force to bring it under Chinese control.
Taiwan has been governed independently of China since 1949. However, Beijing considers the island part of its territory and insists on its eventual reunification, by force if necessary.
Earlier, Lai declared that Taiwan would make every effort to thwart China's attempts to alter the status quo of the self-governed island, Taiwan News reported citing Radio Taiwan International (RTI).
Taiwan's former President further said that to maintain regional peace and prosperity, countries like the US and other friends of Taiwan should increase efforts to promote dialogue between Taipei and Beijing, as reported by Taiwan News.
The former president of Taiwan told the audience that in his April meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, the war in the Taiwan Strait would cause unbearable suffering for people on both sides of the strait.
Ma said that it was a pity that Lai would not accept such a concept, adding that he felt sad, disgusted, and worried by the way the current administration displays a "contemptuous attitude" towards Chinese culture, Taiwan News reported.
Responding to what he thinks about whether there will be war in the future, Ma said that despite his worries, the chance remains low.
Moreover, he called on both Taipei and Beijing to focus energy on rebuilding mutual trust to safeguard peace in the region.
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