Involvement in Politics
Unlike most prominent Buddhist leaders in Taiwan who have withdrawn from making political statements or have kept them private, Hsing Yun is notable in openly involving himself with Taiwanese and Chinese politics, and is a prominent supporter of the One China policy. For example, in 2009 Hsing Yun exclaimed that there are "no Taiwanese" and that Taiwanese "are Chinese." during the second World Buddhist Forum, causing a rift between himself and those on the Pan-Green coalition. He has also encouraged reconciliation between China and the Dalai Lama, though he has distanced himself from the Dalai Lama in the past for fears of causing rifts between him and his organisation and the Chinese government. During the 2008 presidential election, Hsing Yun publicly endorsed Kuomintang candidate Ma Ying-jeou.
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