Debate over 1992 `one China' consensus rages on

The partisan nature of the dispute over Taiwan's identity was thrown into sharp relief yesterday as the leader of the nation's main opposition party hailed the so-called "1992 consensus" with China and the sitting premier denied the very existence of the consensus.

KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰), speaking at the launching of two KMT campaign teams yesterday morning, strongly rejected President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) comment that the opposition was "selling out Taiwan" by pressing him (Chen) to accept the so-called "one China, with each side having its own interpretation" consensus of 1992.

Lien said the DPP and its "fellow-travelers," including former President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲) had all supported the consensus in the past.

"Mr. Chen Shui-bian has this mistaken impression and understanding about the 1992 consensus because he hasn't worked hard enough," Lien said.

Two KMT campaign teams will tour the nation during the run-up to the December elections stumping for the party's candidates and rebutting charges made against the KMT.

In what was cited by Lien as an example of the kind of "ungrounded accusations" they might have to rebut, Chen, during a DPP rally in Hualien Sunday night, had said that the 1992 consensus was based on an idea similar to "one country, two systems," in which the "one country" referred to the PRC.

Chen had argued that accepting the 1992 consensus was therefore tantamount to "exterminating the ROC" and "selling out Taiwan."

Lien said that the KMT opposed any form of "one country, two systems" that was "obviously intended to downgrade the status of Taiwan," but that the 1992 consensus was different and had made a series of cross-strait negotiations possible, which temporarily eased tensions.

Meanwhile, Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) yesterday morning denied the very existence of the 1992 consensus, saying that the term had only surfaced last year.

The premier, echoing Chen, said that recognizing the "one China" principle as embodied by the so-called "consensus" would signify that the Republic of China no longer existed.

"To my knowledge, the two sides did not reach any agreement over one China back in 1992," Chang said on the legislative floor during an interpellation session. "The term [`the 1992 consensus'] did not exist until a year ago."

KMT lawmaker Chen Chieh-ju (陳傑儒) raised the issue to challenge President Chen's Sunday remarks.

"Who would dare to talk with China on behalf of Taiwan, if proponents of the 1992 consensus were painted as seeking to sell out the country?" the KMT legislator asked, pressing the premier to comment.

The opposition has argued that Beijing will resume dialogue with Taipei if the Chen administration recognizes the so-called consensus, under which the two sides agree that there is only one China, but differ as to their respective definitions thereof.

But Chang said that as he saw it, the two sides only "agreed to disagree" in 1992 and that even Beijing had later made clear it would not tolerate different interpretations of "one China."

The round of talks nine years ago culminated in the 1993 meeting in Singapore between Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫) and Wang Daohan (汪道涵), heads of bilateral intermediary agencies on cross-strait affairs.

Chang told the legislature it would be more constructive for the two sides to put their disputes aside and restart the dialogue.