Fourth Cross-Strait Media Summit Held in Beijing

The Fourth Cross-Strait Media Summit (第四屆兩岸媒體人北京峰會) was held in Beijing on May 10, 2019, co-organized by Beijing Daily Group (北京日報報業集團) and Want Want China Times Media Group (旺旺中時媒體集團). Nearly seventy Taiwan media organizations sent representatives, led by Want Want Holdings (旺旺集團) chairman Tsai Eng-meng (蔡衍明). CPPCC chairman and Politburo Standing Committee member Wang Yang (汪洋) received the Taiwan delegation in a closed-door session, directing those present that achieving peaceful unification and one country two systems required the efforts of media colleagues, and mocking Taiwan’s government as unable to guarantee its situation two years hence. Wang Yang further stated that Taiwan independence advocates were mistaken to rely on the United States, which would not go to war with China over Taiwan. The remarks were recorded and leaked the following day, triggering a public controversy in Taiwan. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) convened a national security meeting the same morning the summit took place; the Foreign Ministry and National Security Bureau both issued statements condemning the CCP’s interference in Taiwan’s press freedom. Xinhua News Agency’s dispatch on Wang Yang’s remarks omitted the statements about Taiwan’s government and the United States entirely. The incident was reported by The News Lens and [Up Media](https://www.upmedia.mg/newsinfo.php?Type=24&SerialNo=63014)_.