The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has a duty to establish official communications between Taiwan and China, former National Security Council (NSC) secretary-general Su Chi (蘇起) said on Sunday.
Su told an academic seminar that the DPP and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) hold diametrically opposing views about the so-called “1992 consensus,” which Beijing considers to be the political foundation for official exchanges between Taiwan and China and has cited as a reason for breaking off exchanges with the DPP government.
The “1992 consensus” — a term Su admitted in 2006 to making up in 2000 when he was head of the Mainland Affairs Council — refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and Chinese government that both sides acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
The DPP denies its existence, although it acknowledges there were talks that year between the two governments and both sides did reach some agreements, none of which include an agreement by Taiwan that it is part of China.
By saying no to such a critical foundation for exchange, Su said that the DPP will never be able to talk to China and must explain to Taiwanese why it is unable to do so.
The KMT’s position on the “1992 consensus” is “yes, but” — yes, there is only one China, but each side retains the right to interpret what “one China” means, Su said.
Beijing says that since there is no written agreement between the two on the meaning of “one China” or leeway to interpret its meaning, it focuses on the “one China” part, Su added.
The KMT, which was the ruling party at the time, understands that the consensus is an agreement on “one China” and a “tacit understanding” that Taiwan can interpret that one China to be the Republic of China (ROC), he said.
To clarify confusion over the results of the 1992 talks in Hong Kong, Su said he later came up with the term “1992 consensus” to refer to a “one China” agreement, even though he knows that most nations recognize the People’s Republic of China as China, not the ROC or Taiwan.
Su said he believes that if the DPP simply recognizes the murkiness of the”one China” concept in the “1992 consensus” by accepting the existence of the consensus while maintaining its disagreement with the “one China” part, then that would probably satisfy everyone.
This is similar to the KMT’s “yes, but” stance, he added.
He never expected that the CCP would come to embrace the “1992 consensus” while the DPP would not, Su said, adding that no matter what, it is up to the DPP as the ruling party to try to establish communications with China.
“That is the DPP government’s duty,” he said.
Fellow former NSC secretary-general Chen Chung-hsin (陳忠信) said that the political implications of “one China” places Taiwan at a great disadvantage.
Taiwan has not asked China: “What is Taiwan in your ‘one China’ principle?” the former DPP lawmaker and official said.
“This is a key question to which all Taiwanese should seek an answer and on which they had better reach a consensus,” he added.
Based on this argument, Chen said that he does not accept Su’s assertion that it is the DPP’s duty to build a bridge of communication with China.
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
RSS