A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) task force on cross-strait discourse has proposed new guidelines for the construction of stable and peaceful relations across the Taiwan Strait as part of the party’s reform efforts.
The task force, overseen by the KMT’s reform committee, proposed four pillars for the party’s handling of cross-strait relations at yesterday’s meeting of the committee: upholding the Republic of China’s national sovereignty; safeguarding freedom, democracy and human rights; prioritizing the safety of Taiwan; and creating win-win cross-strait relations.
In its presentation, the task force proposed that the “1992 consensus” should be viewed as “a historical description of past cross-strait interaction.”
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
The so-called “1992 consensus” — a term that former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that both sides acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Although past KMT administrations had deemed the “1992 consensus” an important basis for seeking common ground in cross-strait interaction, the term has been marred by President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration, the task force said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) speech last year marking the anniversary of the 1979 “message to compatriots in Taiwan” also generated strong opposition to the term among Taiwanese, as Xi urged them to accept Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula based on his claim that it was part of the “1992 consensus,” it added.
Tensions across the Taiwan Strait have not been higher since Beijing launched missile tests in 1996, as it attempted to influence Taiwan’s first direct presidential election that year, it said.
The task force recommended that the KMT, as a party with a strong sense of responsibility, use the guidelines to work toward stable cross-strait relations, saying that it should push for a legal mechanism with oversight powers that would allow cross-strait negotiations to be as open and transparent as possible.
Legislation should be drafted to regulate interaction between officials across the Strait so that exchanges based on inappropriate interests end, it said.
The KMT would continue to promote long-term economic and trade relations across the Strait, but would ensure that the fruits of such economic development benefit the majority of Taiwanese, the task force said.
“We will do everything we can for peace, but we will never kneel down for it,” the task force said. “The KMT will never accept any option that alters the national sovereignty of the Republic of China — therefore ‘one country, two systems’ is not an option for Taiwanese.”
“We also know that Taiwanese independence is unfeasible. Cutting off Zhonghua (中華) symbols and slashing the inheritance of the minkuo (民國) would not only create rifts in Taiwanese society, but also block the support that it receives from the international community, which it needs very much,” it added.
The four guidelines are the keys to resolving long-time opposition between Taiwan and China, it said.
Following the presentation, KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said that the “change toward the ‘1992 consensus’ was not introduced by the KMT, but by Beijing and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who have led the Taiwanese public to misunderstand and distrust the term.”
KMT members should be open-minded toward the variety of political views held by different generations of Taiwanese, he added.
Like the DPP, the KMT stands for national sovereignty, democracy and human rights, Chiang said, adding that he hopes the four guidelines can take the party to a better place on its way to reform.
PAPERS, PLEASE: A digital certificate or a printout would return one of three results: green for ‘pass,’ red for ‘not passed’ or yellow for ‘to be determined,’ the CECC said Starting today, people can download a Digital COVID-19 Certificate, with the government now requiring people at night clubs, karaoke bars and other businesses in “eight major special establishment categories” to be fully vaccinated and present a vaccination certificate. The eight categories include dance venues, massage parlors, hostess bars and saunas. Customers and service personnel at the venues have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, as they can neither avoid contact with people nor strictly observe distancing guidelines, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said. As such, both groups are required to be fully vaccinated, meaning that they must have had at least a
ORDER OF 66 JETS: Delivering the F-16s faster and enabling Taiwan to develop its fleet into one of the biggest in Asia would be based on ‘risk assessment,’ one official said The US is looking for ways to accelerate delivery of Taiwan’s next generation of newly built F-16 jets, US officials said, bolstering the Taiwanese air force’s ability to respond to what Taipei and Washington see as increasing intimidation by the Chinese military. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that they have not yet come up with a solution on how to speed up delivery of Block 70 F-16s, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp and equipped with new capabilities. The aircraft are slated to be delivered by the end of 2026. Taipei has privately expressed its wish for a faster delivery
LAWMAKERS RALLY: Beijing’s unlegislated actions breach international and WTO trade rules, and affect the basic principles of the EU single market, the letter said A group of 41 EU lawmakers on Tuesday condemned China for its political and economic coercion of Lithuania, and called on leaders of the bloc to demonstrate solidarity with Vilnius. The letter was initiated by Slovakian Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Miriam Lexmann, who is cochair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. “We, the undersigned members of the European Parliament, resolutely condemn political and economic coercion of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) against Lithuania,” the letter said. The letter addressed European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and
‘GOOD FRIEND’: The Slovenian prime minister said he had visited Taiwan four or five times, and that Taiwanese should have the right to determine their future The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday welcomed Slovenia’s plan to establish a representative office in Taiwan, after Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa revealed the plan in an interview with Indian TV station Doordarshan on Monday. Taiwan is a democratic country that respects international democratic standards and international laws, the Slovenian prime minister said in the interview. Slovenia and Taiwan are working on “exchanging representatives,” he said. “Of course, this will not be on the level of embassies. It will be on the same level as many of the EU member countries.” “When I spoke with our businessmen who are trading with Taiwan, they
RSS