China’s understanding of the so-called “1992 consensus” leaves no room for the Republic of China (ROC), Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) spokesman Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday, after Beijing criticized comments on the issue by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫).
Chu on Monday told the Brookings Institution in the US — where he is leading a delegation of KMT officials on an 11-day tour — that the party’s “1992 consensus” was a “non-consensus consensus” and an example of “constructive ambiguity.”
“We are mislabeled by some people. Some media say we are a pro-China party. It is totally wrong. We are a pro-US party, forever,” Chu said in a keynote speech at the Washington-based institute.
Photo: CNA
The “1992 consensus” — a term former MAC chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese government that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Asked about the comments yesterday, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesman Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) told a regular news briefing in Beijing that “willful distortions of the 1992 consensus will not be tolerated.”
“Any political party, group or individual on the island seeking to maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait must ... keep a clear head, stay on the correct path and be on the right side of history,” Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.
“Taiwan is a part of China. Cross-strait affairs is a family matter for Chinese compatriots on both sides and it should be handled by the family without outside meddling,” he said.
The KMT should “stay on the correct path,” Ma added in a rebuke of Chu’s visit to the US.
Chiu told a news conference in Taipei that Ma “has made plain that the communists see no difference between the 1992 consensus and accepting its one China principle.”
“This formula does not allow any space for the Republic of China to exist. For that reason, it was rejected by the overwhelming majority of Taiwanese,” he said.
Taiwanese know that China uses the “1992 consensus” and the “one China” principle as instruments to further its so-called unification of Taiwan, he said, adding that Taipei firmly opposes any infringement of the nation’s sovereignty.
“We urge Beijing to give up the political framework it seeks to impose on Taiwan, abandon the use of armed threats and acknowledge the reality that the ROC exists,” he said.
BAIL APPEALS: The former vice premier was ordered to be held incommunicado despite twice being granted bail and paying a total of NT$12 million in bond The Taoyuan District Court yesterday ordered the detention of former vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), who is being investigated for alleged corruption while serving as Taoyuan mayor from December 2014 to December 2022, and that he be held incommunicado. The court made the ruling during a bail hearing after prosecutors appealed its bail ruling twice. Cheng on Saturday was released after posting bail of NT$5 million (US$153,818). However, after prosecutors lodged an appeal, the High Court on Monday revoked the original ruling and ordered the Taoyuan District Court to hold another bail hearing. On Tuesday, the district court granted bail to Cheng a second
The Thai government on Friday announced that Taiwanese would be allowed to stay in the country for up to 60 days per entry, under the Southeast Asian country’s visa-free program starting from today. Taiwan is among 93 countries included in the Thai visa-waiver program, which has been expanded from 57 countries, with the visa-exempt entry extended from 30 to 60 days. After taking office last year, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has vowed to grant more visa waivers to foreign travelers as part of efforts to stimulate tourism. The expanded visa-waiver program was on Friday signed by Thai Minister of the Interior Anutin
PEACE AND SECURITY: China’s military ambitions present ‘the greatest strategic challenge to Japan and the world, Japan’s annual defense white paper said yesterday Japan yesterday warned that China risked escalating tensions with Taiwan with an increase in military exercises that appeared aimed in part at readying Beijing’s forces for a possible invasion. Japan’s annual assessment of security threats, including those posed by China, North Korea and Russia, comes as Taiwan closely monitors Chinese People’s Liberation Army air and sea exercises, including one with the Shandong aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean. The drills are the latest in a series including maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait last year that a senior US general said would be key to any invasion. “Because of that increase in military activity,
HAN KUANG: The exercises, which are to run from July 22 to 26, will feature unscripted war games and a decentralized command and control structure, military officers said The armed forces would for the first time test new rules of engagement (ROE) at this month’s annual Han Kuang exercises, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday. The exercises, which are to run from July 22 to 26, will feature unscripted war games, and a decentralized command and control structure, military officers told a news conference in Taipei. ROE cards would be issued to select combat troops to test their ability to function without tight control, they said. The most recent edition of the rules was published last year, they said. One of the cards’ two templates identifies enemy targets that soldiers