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Presidential Office rebuts unification council ‘rumor’
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The Presidential Office reiterated Ma’s pledge before the election to maintain the ‘status quo,’ emphasizing that he had not changed his policy goals
STAFF WRITER, WITH AGENCIES
Monday, Jul 07, 2008, Page 3
The Presidential Office dismissed a report yesterday that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) plans to reinstate a defunct council tasked with formulating policies to promote unification with China.
The National Unification Council was set up in 1990 by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government to promote unification of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The council was considered largely symbolic and had been dormant since 2000, when Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) of the Democratic Progressive Party took office.
In February 2006, Chen signed documents to cancel the functions of the agency and the application of the National Unification Guidelines.
Chen defended his decision, citing Beijing’s military threat and its pledge to use non-peaceful means if necessary to prevent Taiwan from declaring formal independence.
Chen said the population of Taiwan alone could decide the nation’s future.
The Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) reported yesterday that the Ma administration was considering restoring the council to help facilitate cross-strait exchanges.
In response, Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) rejected the report as a “rumor.”
“President Ma has made it clear that ‘no unification, no independence and no use of force’ is the present guideline for the mainland policy,” he said while accompanying Ma on a trip to Pingtung County.
“There has been no change. We have no plan to reinstate the council.”
During the run-up to the March 22 presidential polls, Ma repeatedly assured voters he would maintain the “status quo” across the Taiwan Strait.
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