China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Director Song Tao (宋濤) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Deputy Chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) both spoke about upholding the so-called “1992 consensus,” opposing Taiwanese independence and “rejuvenating the Chinese nation” as pillars of cross-strait relations at a KMT-Chinese Communist Party (CPP) think tank exchange forum in Beijing today.
The forum, titled “Prospects for Cross-Strait Exchange and Cooperation,” took place at the China World Hotel.
People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait hope for cross-strait relations to stabilize and improve, Song said in his opening remarks.
Photo: CNA
The forum was focused on three topics: cross-strait tourism, industrial exchanges and environmental sustainability cooperation, he said.
The KMT and CCP are responsible for the peaceful development of cross-strait relations and protecting the “Chinese homeland,” Song said.
Song put forward five pillars of cross-strait relations: upholding the “1992 consensus”; deepening integrated development; focusing on people’s well-being and enhancing familial bonds; opposing Taiwanese independence and safeguarding peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait; and supporting the joint cause of “national rejuvenation.”
The “1992 consensus” refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and CCP that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted that he made up the term to break a cross-strait deadlock and alleviate tension.
China would continue to promote cross-strait economic cooperation and enable all Chinese people, including people in Taiwan, to live better lives, Song said.
Song criticized supporters of Taiwanese independence, calling on people in Taiwan to “stand on the right side of history.”
Meanwhile, Hsiao said that KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) cares about the forum and hopes to address urgent issues affecting Taiwan’s industrial development, including tourism and cross-strait industrial cooperation.
The forum would address issues relevant to both sides, including healthcare, climate change, disaster prevention, artificial intelligence development, new energy and carbon reduction, he said.
Even though the two sides of the Strait are developing under different systems, people on both sides are all Chinese people and should cooperate to revitalize China, Hsiao said.
“The two sides of the Taiwan Strait should cooperate rather than confronting each other and allowing other countries to exploit Taiwan,” he said.
“Cross-strait confrontation or conflict does not serve the interests of people in Taiwan or the overall interests of the Chinese nation,” he added.
The past 30 years have shown that cross-strait exchanges and cooperation best serve the common interests of people on both sides, Hsiao said.
Cross-strait relations should ensure people’s well-being, uphold the “1992 consensus,” oppose Taiwanese independence, create mutually beneficial outcomes and pursue peaceful development and “harmonious integration,” working hand in hand to rejuvenate the Chinese nation, he said.
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