The Mainland Affairs Council yesterday reiterated President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) “three noes” policy — no unification, no independence and no use of force — in response to China’s call for both sides of the Taiwan Strait to negotiate and sign a peace agreement.
Speaking at the opening of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 18th National Congress in Beijing yesterday, Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) also warned Taiwan against any moves toward independence and said that China would stick to the principle of “peaceful unification” with Taiwan under the “one country, two systems” model.
“We resolutely oppose any separatist attempt for Taiwan independence. The Chinese people will never allow anyone or any force to separate Taiwan from the motherland by any means,” he said.
“We will agree to interact with, conduct dialogue with and cooperate with any political parties in Taiwan, as long as they do not advocate Taiwan independence and as long as they identify with the ‘one China’ principle,” Hu said, adding that peaceful and stable development across the Taiwan Strait is a must if China is to achieve peaceful unification with Taiwan.
The council’s response said Taiwan’s government, under the Republic of China Constitution framework, would maintain the cross-strait “status quo” by upholding the “three noes” policy and the so-called “1992 consensus” — which stipulates that there is “one China, with each side having its own interpretation” — as the basis for peaceful and stable cross-strait development.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Office publicized the content of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) interview with Asia Week magazine that was conducted on Friday last week, in which the president was asked whether he has considered signing a peace agreement with China. According to the press release, Ma said that last year, he floated the idea of a cross-strait peace agreement when he laid out his vision of a “golden decade” for the country, but many in Taiwan expressed doubt about it, which means that there is ample room for discussion on whether such a formality is needed.
In response to Hu’s speech, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said that his comments relating to Taiwan were “basically the same” as those in the past.
“Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country. The differences between Taiwan and China, as well as mainstream public opinion in Taiwan, are a political reality that Beijing cannot evade,” Su said on the sidelines of a Rotary Club event.
“The DPP intends to engage the CCP with confidence and enthusiasm,” Su said.
“However, it would also encourage Chinese leaders to broaden their perspective and embrace Taiwanese public opinion,” he said.
While some DPP members and supporters are calling on the party to adjust its China policy, Su reiterated that there is “no rush” to implement such proposals, including the establishment of a China affairs committee and holding an intraparty debate on the party’s China policy.
The DPP’s China policy, Su said, should be formulated under the framework of regional security and global politics and after Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (習近平), Hu’s anointed successor, has consolidated his power and unveiled his policy on Taiwan.
Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Hsu Chung-hsin (許忠信) told a press conference that Taiwanese should closely monitor Xi, who is widely perceived as the most knowledgeable Chinese politician on Taiwanese affairs and the first to suggest the “unification by trade” (以經促統) strategy.
“It’s worth watching if Xi continues Hu’s Taiwan policy by yielding more benefits and promoting more market opening before applying more political pressure on President Ma to sign a cross-strait peace agreement,” Hsu said.
Hsu also expected Xi to make use of “soft power,” trying to appeal to Taiwanese sympathies by promoting Chinese culture and establishing a communication platform between the CCP and the DPP to force Ma to accelerate his cross-strait political agenda.
Additionally, Xi could attempt to incorporate Taiwan by signing a wide range of bilateral agreements, including cross-strait cooperation on culture, media, religion and banking, which would become a “web” to advance a “natural unification process,” he said.
Chinese premier-designate Lee Keqiang (李克強) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Chairman Wang Qishan (王岐山) are expected to take charge of the economic policies related to Taiwan, given their background in economic affairs, Hsu said.
In terms of Taiwan Affairs Office Director Wang Yi (王毅), who is expected to be promoted to the CCP politburo, Hsu said Wang had successfully enforced a “united front” tactic by arranging visits by hundreds of provincial officials and delegations to Taiwan.
Wang is also expected to play a pivotal role in Beijing’s Taiwan policy in the future as well, Hsu added.
Additional reporting by Huang Wei-chu and agencies
The US government has signed defense cooperation agreements with Japan and the Philippines to boost the deterrence capabilities of countries in the first island chain, a report by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The main countries on the first island chain include the two nations and Taiwan. The bureau is to present the report at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee tomorrow. The US military has deployed Typhon missile systems to Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture and Zambales province in the Philippines during their joint military exercises. It has also installed NMESIS anti-ship systems in Japan’s Okinawa
‘WIN-WIN’: The Philippines, and central and eastern European countries are important potential drone cooperation partners, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung said Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) in an interview published yesterday confirmed that there are joint ventures between Taiwan and Poland in the drone industry. Lin made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper). The government-backed Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance and the Polish Chamber of Unmanned Systems on Wednesday last week signed a memorandum of understanding in Poland to develop a “non-China” supply chain for drones and work together on key technologies. Asked if Taiwan prioritized Poland among central and eastern European countries in drone collaboration, Lin
BACK TO WORK? Prosecutors said they are considering filing an appeal, while the Hsinchu City Government said it has applied for Ann Kao’s reinstatement as mayor The High Court yesterday found suspended Hsinchu mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) not guilty of embezzling assistant fees, reducing her sentence to six months in prison commutable to a fine from seven years and four months. The verdict acquitted Kao of the corruption charge, but found her guilty of causing a public official to commit document forgery. The High Prosecutors’ Office said it is reviewing the ruling and considering whether to file an appeal. The Taipei District Court in July last year sentenced Kao to seven years and four months in prison, along with a four-year deprivation of civil rights, for contravening the Anti-Corruption
NO CONFIDENCE MOTION? The premier said that being toppled by the legislature for defending the Constitution would be a democratic badge of honor for him Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday announced that the Cabinet would not countersign the amendments to the local revenue-sharing law passed by the Legislative Yuan last month. Cho said the decision not to countersign the amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) was made in accordance with the Constitution. “The decision aims to safeguard our Constitution,” he said. The Constitution stipulates the president shall, in accordance with law, promulgate laws and issue mandates with the countersignature of the head of the Executive Yuan, or with the countersignatures of both the head of the Executive Yuan and ministers or
RSS