Premier Tang Fei (唐飛) yesterday proposed that Taiwan and China both drop their insistence about defining just what "one China" is and sit down to talk about building a "future one China."
"I suggest to the mainland that they do not insist `one China' refers to the People's Republic of China, and then we won't insist that the Republic of China is the `one China,'" Tang told the legislature.
Tang said a "future one China" should be acceptable to both sides.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
However, Taiwan still insists that this "new China" should be one that is democratic and free, Tang said.
"If mainland China thinks this matter is negotiable, that will be a starting point," Tang said.
Tang made the remarks when facing the first general interpellation session from lawmakers.
In light of the new government's apparent attempt to break through the "one China" framework, under which cross-strait relations used to operate, lawmakers wanted clarification on whether the National Unification Council's (NUC) 1992 resolution on "the meaning of `one China'" still remained valid.
Under the resolution, Taiwan claimed that "one China" refers to the ROC and that its sovereignty covers "the whole of China," though its jurisdiction is only valid over Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.
The document, meanwhile, states that it is a reality that China has been split and ruled by two "political entities" since 1949. It says any proposal for unification cannot ignore the existence of this reality.
Tang said the interpretation of "one China" set down by the NUC needs to be reviewed, because of the "legal dispute" that it involves.
Tang said the ROC's claim that its sovereignty covers the whole of China -- as is stipulated by the Constitution -- is disputable in international law, because the claim is inconsistent with the reality.
"The deadlock in cross-strait relations lies in the fact that China insists that Taiwan accepts its claim that `one China' refers to the PRC," Tang said.
He said Taiwan is in a disadvantageous position to confine itself within this "one China" framework, because the international community does not recognize the ROC as representing "one China."
"We need to break through this framework," Tang said.
Taiwan's future relationship with China -- whether it is unification, independence or maintaining the status quo -- will only be decided with the agreement of the majority of all 23 million people, Tang said.
Tang's explanation, however, failed to convince the lawmakers.
New Party Legislator Elmer Fung (馮滬祥) said it is the premier's obligation to comply with the Constitution.
"Until the Constitution is amended, the [ROC's] sovereignty will still cover the whole of China," Fung said.
Fung argued that since China has insisted that Taiwan stick to "the principle of `one China'" as the precondition to resuming cross-strait dialogue, Taiwan should continue to conform to the NUC's resolution.
Fung said the resolution has offered Taiwan a way to bypass the sovereignty dispute between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait while allowing both sides to have different claims on the content of "one China."
KMT Legislator Hong Yu-chin (洪玉欽) said the new government should seek a breakthrough in cross-strait relations based on the existing foundation built up by the KMT government.
"The KMT always believed the best solution was to allow both sides to have `freedom of expression' on their respective definitions of `one China,'" Hong said.
Hong argued that "one China" was never a problem until the government of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) made it one.
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