Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh (
"However, if a domestic consensus on the `one China' principle is reached, President Chen Shui-bian (
Lee added that he believed that Chen would also accept the consensus reached by the task force on the "one China" principle.
"If Taiwan and China are constructively engaged, time is on our side. If not, time is not on our side," Lee said, urging both sides of the Strait to return to the "one China" principle with each side free to have its own interpretation as to the definition.
This position is referred to by the KMT as the 1992 consensus between China and Taiwan. The DPP refuses to acknowledge such a consensus but does call for a return to "the spirit of 1992."
The task force is expected to convene meetings next Saturday and reach a consensus on the "one China" principle based on a three-quarter majority vote.
The version proposed by Wu Feng-shan (
The three acknowledgements refer to the past, present and future "one China."
The past "one China" is China "in a broad sense" (廣義的中國) or during the Qing dynasty (滿清的中國). The fact is acknowledged that Taiwan was once a part of China in a broad sense. But now, Taiwan has established a democratic system and, therefore, both sides of the Taiwan Strait should recognize that any change to the status quo would have to be agreed upon by Taiwan's people. When dealing with the future "one China," however, both sides should be mutually beneficial.
Meanwhile, the task force is expected to raise the four suggestions which include that the ROC Constitution be respected, the "one China" issue be addressed, the National Unification Council be convened and the value of democracy be shared by both sides.
The version, however, is likely to be rejected by DPP members who support Taiwan independence.
"If the three acknowledgements and four suggestions are supported by most members [of the task force,] we can only accept that they are a majority opinion and not the final consensus," said DPP Legislator Lin Cho-shui (
In addition, when Lee was asked whether he would be replaced if Chen rejected the "one China" principle, Lee said he was confident that he would remain in his post as the president of Academia Sinica unless he resigned of his own volition.
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