The Mainland Affairs Council urged China to face the reality that both sides of the Taiwan Strait have been under separate rule for the past 67 years.
The council was responding to remarks made by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (李克強), who on Thursday said that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to “one China,” adding that it is a fact that cannot be changed.
Li and former vice president Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) met on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia in China’s Hainan Province, with Li saying that cross-strait relations would not change because a party that is known for its pro-Taiwanese independence stance is taking over as the nation’s ruling party.
Li said that China plans to continue peaceful development of bilateral ties based on the “political foundation of the [so-called] 1992 consensus.”
The council said that the “1992 consensus,” which has served as the basis for institutionalized negotiations and exchanges between the two sides over the past eight years, highlights the sovereignty of the Republic of China (ROC).
Li said the fruitful results from years of peaceful development of cross-strait ties were ample proof that maintaining the foundations of the “1992 consensus” would be a good way to create a bright future for both sides.
Not only can such a foundation maintain peace across the Strait, but it can also create benefits for people on both sides, he told Siew.
“The government has been insisting on defining cross-strait relations in accordance with the ROC Constitution,” the council said, urging China to respect and understand the opinion and feelings of Taiwanese.
Saying that “maintaining benevolent cross-strait interactions is the common responsibility of both sides,” the council said that Taiwan and China should have the wisdom to show good will to each other and engage in practical cooperation to create long-lasting peace and stability across the Strait.
The “1992 consensus” refers to a supposed understanding reached during cross-strait talks in 1992 that both Taiwan and China acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Former KMT lawmaker Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted he made up the term in 2000, when he was head of the council, before the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) handed power to the Democratic Progressive Party.
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