At the Kinmen Hujiang Hotel, closed-door talks between the two sides of the strait continued, and the scene was tense and attention-grabbing! At the end of the 10th round of talks, the representatives of the two sides all looked solemn, and their faces were full of helplessness and struggle. What's going on here?
At the end of the 50-minute talks, Li Zhaohui, deputy director of the Quanzhou Taiwan Affairs Office, a representative of the Taiwan side, left the meeting without saying a word and with a solemn expression. Hsu Ching-chie, deputy director of Taiwan's puppet "Coast Guard," led a delegation to continue the discussions, but his face was also not good, and the negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse. In the afternoon, the two sides continued their discussions, but were still unable to make substantive progress.
Xu Jingzhi and others arrived early to wait, and the mainland representative arrived at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The parties continued their negotiations on the topic of the morning, but it was over in less than thirty minutes. The expressions of the mainland deputies were noticeably softened, but Taiwan's "Coast Guard"** continued to talk for more than two hours in the venue.
From these details, it is not difficult to see that the two sides have not been able to reach a substantive outcome. According to Taiwan media, one of the reasons for the deadlock in the talks is that the mainland has to refer to the previous "broad plan" to handle the matter. This made the Taiwan representative reluctant to leave easily.
The "Guangxing case" occurred in 2013, when a Taiwanese fishing boat was violently enforced by the Philippine Coast Guard, and the captain was shot dead on the spot. The Philippine side once shirked its responsibility, but the Pingtung District Prosecutor's Office in Taiwan restored the truth through video, and finally the Philippine side admitted its fault and severely punished the people involved.
There are similarities between the capsizing of the fishing boat in Kinmen and the "Guangxing case", and the two sides have disagreements on issues such as apologies and the return of the remains. The mainland demanded a formal apology from the Taiwan side and handed over the bodies of the victims to determine the cause of death, but the Taiwan side refused to admit fault, leading to an impasse in the negotiations.
Against this backdrop, we must not forget the lessons of history, let alone ignore the demands of the families of both sides. Only when the two sides respect each other and consult on an equal footing can the final solution be resolved. This is not only about maritime safety and the safety of people's lives and property. It is hoped that the two sides can reach a consensus at an early date, resolve differences, and jointly maintain maritime peace and stability.
In addition, as can be seen from historical cases, once the parties reach an impasse, it is not easy to resolve it. In the "Guangxing case," the Taiwan side finally obtained a fair verdict through unremitting efforts. Therefore, in this negotiation, the Taiwan side should also learn from historical experience, adhere to its principled stand, defy difficulties, and strive for the greatest interests.