China should stop its coercion of Taiwan and respect mainstream public opinion in Taiwan about sovereignty if its expression of goodwill is genuine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday.
Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) made the comment in response to media queries about a meeting between former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) the previous day.
Ma voiced support for the so-called “1992 consensus,” while Xi said that although the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have “different systems,” this does not change the fact that they are “part of the same country,” and that “external interference cannot impede the historic reunion of family and country.”
Photo: Yang Yao-ju, Taipei Times
The so-called “1992 consensus” — a term that former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
Liu said that China’s use of military, diplomatic and economic coercion against Taiwan, and its attempts to alter the “status quo” by waging legal and cognitive warfare are of great concern to Taiwanese, unlike the unpopular narratives and opinions espoused at the meeting.
The meeting was merely a propaganda tool for Beijing to spread its narrative about Taiwan and it did nothing to conceal China’s ambition to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty, he said.
Beijing has been promoting the “1992 consensus” as a setup for Taiwanese to concede to the “one China” principle, with the aim of fully negating Taiwanese sovereignty, Liu said.
If Beijing has a genuine desire to show goodwill to Taiwan, it can start by ending its coercive tactics and acknowledge mainstream public consensus in Taiwan on issues involving sovereignty, he said.
Taiwan welcomes dialogue with China to resolve their differences, but insists that the two sides must meet as equals, Liu said, adding that only the democratically elected government of Taiwan has the authority to talk with Beijing.
In related news, the Ministry of National Defense said that 14 Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft were detected in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone in the 24-hour period starting at 6am on Wednesday.
Six of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s southwestern or eastern zone, flight paths released by the ministry showed.
An unspecified number of aircraft flew as close as 46 nautical miles (85km) off Oluanpi, Taiwan’s southernmost tip, as shown by the flight paths, the defense ministry said.
Six PLA Navy vessels were also detected in waters off Taiwan, it said.
Separately, Taiwan yesterday condemned the confiscation of Republic of China national flags and other emblems at a meeting at the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce’s Vietnam branch, and Hanoi’s refusal to issue visas to Taiwanese lawmakers invited to the event.
A delegation headed by Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) was unable to attend the event as Vietnamese officials denied the group’s visa applications, Liu said.
World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce’s selection of Vietnam as the place of its general meeting demonstrated Taiwan’s success in spreading the reach of its soft power via economic ties, he said.
However, Taiwan is disappointed by the Vietnamese government’s bowing to Beijing, Liu said, adding that Taiwan has lodged a strong protest with Vietnam’s representative office in Taiwan.
Additional reporting by CNA
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