The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday urged Beijing to accept the “four commitments” touted by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), and give up its military coercion and trying to force Taiwan into a political framework, so that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait can resume friendly, healthy and orderly interactions.
The council issued the remarks in response to a New Year’s message by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Director Song Tao (宋濤), in which he was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying that he would have “wide and in-depth negotiations with people of vision in Taiwan on cross-strait relations and unification with China.”
Song said that this year would be the start of “thoroughly implementing the spirit of the Chinese Communist Party’s [CCP] 20th National Congress,” and that the CCP would persist in taking Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) “Thought on Socialism With Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” as guidance.
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
On the foundation of the “one China” principle and “the 1992 consensus,” the CCP would have “wide and in-depth negotiations with people of vision from different fields in Taiwan,” he said.
The so-called “1992 consensus” — a term that former MAC chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the CCP that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
In response, the MAC yesterday said that the government’s cross-strait policy remains unchanged, as mentioned in Tsai’s New Year’s address on Sunday.
Tsai said that all stakeholders in the region bear a shared responsibility for “peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” which is what everyone hopes for, and that “war has never been a way to solve problems, and only through dialogue, cooperation, and joint efforts toward the goals of regional stability and development can we help more people enjoy security and happiness,” the MAC said.
It hopes Beijing would first improve its domestic economy, as well as the health and safety for its people, the MAC said, adding that Taiwan is willing to offer disease prevention and humanitarian assistance.
It urged Beijing to practically accept Taiwan’s “four commitments,” which are the Taiwanese commitment to defend the nation’s sovereignty and democracy, as well as to enhance the “resilience of four key areas” and achieve the “four major goals.”
The “four commitments” were mentioned by Tsai in her Double Ten National Day speech in 2021, in which she said that Taiwan’s government and its people “are committed to maintaining a free and democratic constitutional system, ensuring that the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China will not be subordinate to each other, resisting annexation or encroachment upon Taiwan’s sovereignty, and guaranteeing that the future of the Republic of China is decided by the will of Taiwanese.”
Meanwhile, Cross-Strait Policy Association researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) yesterday said that according to the constitution of the People’s Republic of China, the CCP is the only legitimate political party, so China-friendly political parties or groups in Taiwan would be forced to accept the “one China” principle and the so-called “1992 consensus” if they want to negotiate with the CCP.
However, it would be inappropriate if Taiwan’s opposition parties negotiated with the CCP, as issues concerning cross-strait relations should be led by the president, he said.
DAREDEVIL: Honnold said it had always been a dream of his to climb Taipei 101, while a Netflix producer said the skyscraper was ‘a real icon of this country’ US climber Alex Honnold yesterday took on Taiwan’s tallest building, becoming the first person to scale Taipei 101 without a rope, harness or safety net. Hundreds of spectators gathered at the base of the 101-story skyscraper to watch Honnold, 40, embark on his daredevil feat, which was also broadcast live on Netflix. Dressed in a red T-shirt and yellow custom-made climbing shoes, Honnold swiftly moved up the southeast face of the glass and steel building. At one point, he stepped onto a platform midway up to wave down at fans and onlookers who were taking photos. People watching from inside
MAKING WAVES: China’s maritime militia could become a nontraditional threat in war, clogging up shipping lanes to prevent US or Japanese intervention, a report said About 1,900 Chinese ships flying flags of convenience and fishing vessels that participated in China’s military exercises around Taiwan last month and in January last year have been listed for monitoring, Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽) said yesterday. Following amendments to the Commercial Port Act (商港法) and the Law of Ships (船舶法) last month, the CGA can designate possible berthing areas or deny ports of call for vessels suspected of loitering around areas where undersea cables can be accessed, Oceans Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said. The list of suspected ships, originally 300, had risen to about
A Vietnamese migrant worker yesterday won NT$12 million (US$379,627) on a Lunar New Year scratch card in Kaohsiung as part of Taiwan Lottery Co’s (台灣彩券) “NT$12 Million Grand Fortune” (1200萬大吉利) game. The man was the first top-prize winner of the new game launched on Jan. 6 to mark the Lunar New Year. Three Vietnamese migrant workers visited a Taiwan Lottery shop on Xinyue Street in Kaohsiung’s Gangshan District (崗山), a store representative said. The player bought multiple tickets and, after winning nothing, held the final lottery ticket in one hand and rubbed the store’s statue of the Maitreya Buddha’s belly with the other,
Japan’s strategic alliance with the US would collapse if Tokyo were to turn away from a conflict in Taiwan, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said yesterday, but distanced herself from previous comments that suggested a possible military response in such an event. Takaichi expressed her latest views on a nationally broadcast TV program late on Monday, where an opposition party leader criticized her for igniting tensions with China with the earlier remarks. Ties between Japan and China have sunk to the worst level in years after Takaichi said in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could bring about a Japanese
RSS