Beijing should recognize that Taiwan does not belong to China and handle cross-strait affairs in a “reasonable, practical, equal and mutually respectful manner,” the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday.
The council issued a statement after outgoing Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (李克強) in a speech at the Chinese National People’s Congress said that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) “resolutely opposes an independent Taiwan and promotes a peaceful unification” with it.
“We once again call for Beijing’s recognition of the fact that Taiwan is not part of China, and vice versa. They should respect the people of Taiwan for upholding the nation’s sovereignty and believing in freedom and democracy, and stop the united front propaganda by military threat and imposing its political framework on Taiwan,” the council said.
Photo: CNA
“They should also handle cross-strait affairs in a reasonable, equal, practical and mutually respectful manner,” the council said. “This would create a condition for healthy interactions between Taiwan and China.”
During the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and National People’s Congress, which are commonly referred to as “the two conferences,” the Chinese State Council is to present a government work report that highlights internal and external challenges, as well as economic stimulus plans following the COVID-19 pandemic, the council said.
The CCP is expected to tighten its control on the country through internal party reforms, it said.
“Beijing should have a more open attitude and invest resources to improve the welfare of the public. It should promote democratic reforms with checks and balances, honor civic groups and keep regional peace. This would help it avoid risks involved in governance and to face the challenges ahead,” the council said.
The government would closely monitor further moves by Beijing and enforce the law to prevent national security risks, it added.
National Cheng Kung University political science professor Hung Chin-fu (洪敬富) yesterday said the CCP did not deviate much from its long-standing policy for Taiwan, judging from the content in the government work report.
“This year marks the beginning of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) third term. To fulfill Xi’s ambition of a ‘unified China,’ more Chinese provinces and cities are expected to set goals about increasing exchanges with local governments and the private sector in Taiwan,” Hung said.
“As a result, increased activities from China’s ‘united front’ system could emerge in the second half of this year,” Hung added.
The CCP reiterated its position of “opposing an independent Taiwan and promoting peaceful unification,” as it seeks to lure pro-unification political parties, organizations and individuals to attack the Democratic Progressive Party government and pro-independence groups, Hung said.
The CCP is expected to extend an olive branch to political parties and organizations that agree with the so-called “1992 consensus,” or try to sway public opinion in favor of peaceful unification during next year’s presidential election, he said.
The “1992 consensus” — a term 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 Chinese government that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
RSS