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.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS