離開
進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 MAC urges positive take on cross-strait ties
Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chen Ming-tong speaks at the Heritage Foundation Forum in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: CNA
/ Staff writer, with CNA
The Mainland Affairs Council （MAC） yesterday urged its Chinese counterpart, the Taiwan Affairs Office （TAO）, to try to respond positively to MAC Minister Chen Ming-tong’s （陳明通） message on cross-strait relations, instead of dismissing it as “saying one thing, but doing another.”
Asked by reporters to comment on Chen’s speech at a Wednesday symposium in Washington, TAO Minister Liu Jieyi （劉結一） said the “one China” principle is not only the political foundation of cross-strait relations, but also serves as a “touchstone” to examine both sides’ willingness to promote the peaceful development of ties across the Taiwan Strait.
“People on both sides of the Strait are well aware of what the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] administration has said and done. Saying one thing, but doing another is not acceptable,” Liu said, adding that Beijing would continue to judge people by their deeds, not their words.
In his opening remarks at an international conference on “The Opportunities and Challenges of Cross-Strait Relations” sponsored by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and the Heritage Foundation, Chen said that both sides should mutually respect each other, listen to rational views domestically and work out rules for orderly interaction.
Cross-strait relations have affected peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region since 1949, Chen said, describing the nearly 70 years of cross-strait relations as a journey from conflict to conciliation, and then a swing to unease.
“For years, the two sides have attempted to bring their mutual relationship to a final settlement through force, peace, or a mixture of other means. However, a solution satisfactory to both sides has not been found due to an insistence on national sovereignty and a democratic way of life,” he said.
The Republic of China （ROC） will never relinquish its sovereignty in exchange for an illusory peace, nor will the 23 million people of democratic Taiwan ever allow their destiny to be decided under the non-democratic system of the other side of the Strait, he added.
Chen acknowledged that the past several years have witnessed rapid changes in Asia and posed unprecedented challenges for cross-strait relations.
However, “the ROC government has remained a force of responsible stabilization through its commitment to maintaining the ‘status quo’ across the Taiwan Strait,” he said.
Since taking office more than two years ago, President Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文） has consistently handled cross-strait relations with pragmatism and managed cross-strait affairs in accordance with the ROC Constitution, the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area （台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例） and other legislation, he said.
While Taiwan works hard to guard and develop its democratic way of life, China has centralized control even more with the intent to change the global order and international framework, he said.
Chen said he hoped that Chinese President Xi Jinping （習近平） would live up to his own words by leading the Chinese Communist Party, the world’s largest political party, to “behave in a way commensurate with this status.”
Such behavior should include respect for democracy and human rights, as well as an understanding that, in relations with neighbors, “only benevolence in a great country is able to serve a small one,” Chen said.
On China’s soured relations with Taiwan, Chen said that Beijing’s long denial of the existence of the ROC has prevented a resolution of the political impasse across the Taiwan Strait.
To stop the spiral of hostility between the two sides from escalating, he suggested that each side seek internal consensus and views, since the two sides differ internally in their views on the development of cross-strait relations.
“They should mutually respect each other, listen to rational views domestically” and work out a mechanism for fruitful cross-strait interaction, he said.
“We are willing to promote cross-strait dialogue and communication in any form, at any place without political preconditions, while conducting potential risk management,” he said.
MAC Deputy Minister Chiu Chui-cheng （邱垂正） yesterday expressed the hope that China could “accurately interpret” Chen’s speech and work together to resolve political differences.
“We look forward to seeing concerned parties set aside their preconceived ideas, be positive and magnanimous, and try to sense the positive energy emitted by Chen in his trip,” Chiu said.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
