Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday said that the so-called “1992 consensus” is an indispensable precondition for a cross-strait peace agreement, while shrugging off reports of a divergence of opinions between KMT Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) and former vice president Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) on the political framework.
Hau made the remarks in an interview with former presidential office spokesman Fan Chiang Tai-chi (范姜泰基) on his online political talk show on Yahoo, one day after President Tsai Ying-wen (蔡英文) delivered her first Double Ten National Day speech.
“Beijing should face up to the existence of the Republic of China [ROC], as it is the best connection linking Taipei and Beijing,” Hau said, adding that goodwill on both sides of the Taiwan Strait is required for Beijing to accept that reality.
For Taipei, the greatest level of goodwill that Beijing has demonstrated is its promotion of the “1992 consensus,” a political framework that Tsai ought to accept, Hau said.
Hau said that since past experience has proved that “1992 consensus, with different interpretations” is conducive to cross-strait relations, Tsai will would see remarkable improvement in cross-strait relations simply by giving concrete emphasis to the framework.
The “1992 consensus” refers to a supposed understanding between the KMT and Beijing that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) said in 2006 that he had made up the term in 2000.
The KMT has maintained that the “different interpretations” is included in the “1992 consensus,” but Beijing has never acknowledged the existence of that element.
In both her inauguration address and National Day speech, Tsai expressed respect for the historical facts of the “1992 talks,” as opposed to official acknowledgement of the “1992 consensus” as Beijing would prefer.
As to views of Wu and Hung regarding the KMT’s new policy platform passed last month, Hau said that there is no difference in the pair’s conceptions of the “1992 consensus.”
“If both sides of the Taiwan Strait ever begin talks about inking a cross-strait peace agreement, ‘1992 consensus, with different interpretations’ will undoubtedly be a precondition,” Hau said.
The KMT’s new policy platform has been seen as an attempt by Hung to move the party closer to the concept of “one China, same interpretation,” as it only mentions the “different interpretations” part once when talking about former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) success in deepening cross-strait interactions during his eight years in office.
It omits what the pan-blue camp has considered an integral element in the political framework in following mentions, with Wu saying on a recent visit to the US that the new platform could make it even harder for the KMT to survive.
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