The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday accused the “increasingly authoritarian” Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of threatening global democracy, after Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in his centenary address touted the party’s accomplishments and commitment to restoring “territorial integrity.”
Donning a Mao suit before a crowd of 70,000 at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, Xi praised the CCP for lifting millions out of poverty in the 100 years since its founding. He also upheld the “one China” principle and the so-called “1992 consensus” as a means toward peaceful unification with Taiwan.
“Solving the Taiwan question and realizing the complete reunification of the motherland are the sworn historical duties of the CCP and the common aspiration of all Chinese people,” he said, urging people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to “smash any ‘Taiwanese independence’ plots.”
Photo: Chen Yu-fu, Taipei Times
The “1992 consensus” — a term that former MAC 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 CCP that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
While conceding that the CCP has achieved “certain economic development” by adopting a Western free-market system, the council condemned the party for “strangling democracy and violating human rights.”
Under the pretext of national rejuvenation, the CCP is becoming “increasingly authoritarian,” while turning its back on private enterprise, it said.
Externally, it has revealed its hegemonic aspirations, while attempting to disrupt the international order, it added.
“The CCP’s historical policy blunders and persistent harmful actions pose a grave threat to regional security and global liberal democracy,” the council said.
The CCP must reflect on its mistakes and promote democratic reforms as soon as possible to return political power to the people, it said.
It must also stop bullying the weak and become a responsible party to regional peace, it added.
Responding to Xi’s calls for unification, the council urged Beijing to “face up to the reality” that 23 million Taiwanese have long rejected its unilateral “one China” principle and “1992 consensus.”
Only by abandoning intimidation and political frameworks can the two sides maintain healthy and sustainable interaction, it added.
The Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation yesterday released the results of its first-ever “feeling thermometer” poll, designed to gauge public sentiment toward the CCP.
Foundation chairman Michael You (游盈隆) said it is the first time the political science tool has been applied to the issue.
The poll asked respondents to rank their sentiment toward the CCP from 0 to 100, in which 0 represents the strongest dislike and 50 represents either indifference or no feelings.
Forty-seven percent responded with a ranking of less than 50, while 10.1 percent answered higher than 50, 31.9 percent answered 50 and 11.1 percent declined to respond or said they did not know.
The poll shows that the overwhelming majority of Taiwanese have either negative or no feelings toward the CCP, You said.
This remained true regardless of political orientation, age, gender, education, income level and other demographics, including KMT supporters and those whose families came to Taiwan after 1949, he added.
The telephone survey, conducted from June 15 to 19, collected 1,072 valid responses from respondents aged 20 or older. It has a confidence level of 95 percent and margin of error of 2.99 percentage points.
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