Thu, May 09, 2019 page3

• Taiwanese independence cannot work, KMT’s Wang tells minister from China

  • By Ann Maxon / Staff reporter
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  The so-called “1992 consensus” has served as a strong foundation for peaceful cross-strait relations and Taiwanese independence “can never work,” Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said in a meeting with China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Minister Liu Jieyi (劉結一) yesterday.

  The two had a closed-door meeting, followed by a luncheon, at the Seaview Resort in Xiamen, China.

  During the meeting, Wang addressed the minister as “Mr Liu” and said he has always believed that “Chinese people are one family sharing the same roots,” a speech transcript provided by his office showed.

  

  Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wang Jin-pyng, left, drinks a toast with China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Minister Liu Jieyi in Xiamen, China, yesterday. WARNING: Excessive consumption of alcohol can damage your health.

  Photo courtesy of Wang Jin-pyng’s office

  “Taiwanese independence is a red herring and can never work,” because bloodlines and culture cannot be severed, he said.

  The majority of Taiwanese, with the exception of Aborigines and new immigrants, have ancestors in China, he said.

  “That we share the same bloodline is a historical fact that cannot be altered by our ethnic group, hometown, political affiliation or color,” he said.

  His trip to the Wang clan’s ancestral temple in Zhangzhou on Tuesday proved that ancestral connections would remain unaffected by time and politics, he said, adding that tracing one’s cultural roots could contribute to promoting cross-strait peace.

  “Over the past 20 years, the 1992 consensus has served as a strong foundation for a peaceful and stable cross-strait relationship,” he said.

  “I believe from that basis, we can seek to build a new consensus and create new opportunities for building peaceful cross-strait relations,” he added.

  Wang had previously described the purpose of his three-day trip to Xiamen as a visit to his ancestral temple.

  Before the meeting, he was originally scheduled to visit the South Putuo Temple, but the plan was canceled early yesterday so that he could meet with Liu.

  Wang was received by hundreds of supporters at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) when he returned to Taipei last night.

  Asked why he dismissed Taiwanese independence in his meeting with Liu, Wang said he had made similar remarks at the legislature.

  “My stance and view have always been consistent, that Taiwanese independence will not work,” he told reporters.

  Independence is not a real issue, while pressure from China seeking unification is real and must be dealt with in a responsible, effective and cautious manner, he said.

  Asked if he mentioned the Republic of China, as he had said he would if necessary, Wang said he did not, because Liu did not mention the People’s Republic of China.

  The “1992 consensus” is a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) admitted making up in 2000. It refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
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