Former president Ma Ying-jeou has been in the news recently. Last week Ma raised his “New Three Noes” China policy at a forum on cross-strait ties. The forum marked the third anniversary of Ma’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Singapore in November 2015.

When Ma was president from 2008 to 2016, his cross-strait policy was centered on “no unification, no independence, and no use of force” – the so-called Three Noes. In his New Three Noes, while no use of force remains a pillar, Ma has changed his stance on unification. He said he does not rule out the possibility of unifying with China, nor does he think the public should support moves towards formal independence for Taiwan. The former leader also said maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait is Taiwan’s best option.