Marking a milestone in interparty cooperation, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) held a historic meeting yesterday where they reached a consensus to acknowledge and respect the current definition of Taiwan's status, create a legal basis for cross-strait peace, and reiterated their support for the Republic of China.
After the meeting at the Taipei Guest House yesterday morning, Chen and Soong signed a joint 10-point agreement on cross-strait relations, national defense and ethnic reconciliation. The consensus was hailed as the beginning of dialogue and discussion between the governing and opposition camps.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"The results of today's discussion highlight two important things. First, that governing and opposition camp's cooperation and interparty cooperation is possible. There are no insurmountable differences between parties and political figures. So long as everyone sits down with the people's interests in mind, it is possible make big steps towards reconciliation," Chen said during a joint press conference held after the summit yesterday afternoon.
"Second, cooperation does not mean forsaking ideology. Chairman Soong and the PFP still have beliefs they insist on. I and the DPP also have beliefs that we have never betrayed. As long as parties trust and respect each other, they can take steps in the same direction," the president added.
Six of the 10 points in the consensus focused on cross-strait relations and issues related to the nation's status, and included a promise to seek a consensus from governing and opposition parties in creating a legal basis for creating a mechanism for cross-strait relations.
"We agreed that there must be a cross-strait peace mechanism and a legal basis for such a mechanism," Soong said yesterday.
The PFP's position, highlighted by Soong yesterday, is that such a body is necessary to allow not only the PFP, but all parties and the Taiwanese people, to be involved in the future of cross-strait relations.
Asked if he and Soong had agreed on the details of such a mechanism, Chen said that the 10-point consensus marks the future direction of cross-strait policy.
Furthermore, regardless of if the proposed mechanism mirrors the PFP's Cabinet-backed committee for cross-Strait peace and development or is composed in a different way, Chen said he welcomes any positive contributions from other parties.
In light of the PFP's long-standing opposition to the original NT$610.8 billion (US$19.6 billion) arms procurement budget, media attention yesterday focussed on the two politicians' agreement that Taiwan should not engage in an arms race with China, while agreeing on the need to purchase defensive arms. While the PFP has not changed its position on the arms budget, it acknowledges the need for national defense, Soong said. The party maintains that the budget needs to undergo further revisions.
Second Meeting
The historic Chen-Soong summit was the first time the two politicians have met to discuss issues since a similar meeting took place in 2000. An important factor leading to the success of the talks was that there was no election pressure in this time's dialogue. Also, said Chen and Soong, both are older and wiser this time around.
"Four years ago, A-bian was not a grandfather yet. But now that A-bian, like Soong, is a grandfather, I have a different mentality," said Chen yesterday, referring to the birth of his two grandsons in recent years.
"Our nation wants mature, democratic politics. While both Soong and I have ideals that we will never abandon, we want to help the Taiwanese people find the room and time to live their lives," Soong said.
Prior to yesterday's meeting, Chen and Soong exchanged gifts as a token of goodwill toward each other.
The president presented the PFP chairman with a work of calligraphy, which featured the Chinese characters "sincerity" (真誠). The work was done by 103-year-old calligraphy master Chen Yun-chen (陳雲程).
"The word `sincerity' represents A-bian's spirit in today's meeting as well as the cornerstone for future bilateral cooperation," Chen said, referring to himself in the third person.
"In Taiwan's present political atmosphere, confrontation often appears easier than reconciliation. This is precisely why [yesterday's] meeting between myself and Chairman Soong is necessary," Chen said.
Following two bitterly-fought elections last year, the people of Taiwan are weary and in dire need of rest, while the nation is in dire need of unity and stability, Chen said.
Working Together
"While politicians can choose between reconciling or fighting each other, from the perspective of the country and its people, reconciliation is the only road to take," the president added.
For his part, Soong gave Chen a glass work which featured a snail on a green bamboo shoot.
"The crawling snail symbolizes Taiwan's democratization. True democracy takes time to be achieved, like a snail crawling toward a beautiful garden," the PFP chairman said.
Soong described the summit between himself, a Mainlander who emigrated from China in the late 1940s, and Chen, a native of Taiwan, "as a prime example of efforts to heal Taiwan's ethnic divisions."
Soong also stated that he attached importance to the meeting with Chen and expected that they will both be sincere and honest, not only during the meeting, but also on policies concerning the people's interests and livelihood.
After the meeting yesterday, Presidential Secretary-General Yu Shyi-kun said he would attempt get in touch with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) again to arrange a meeting between Chen and the KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰).
Also yesterday, unhappy with the Chen-Soong meeting, a group of pan-blue supporters protested outside the gates of the Taipei Guest House.
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