President Ma: “1992 Consensus” Based on Decision by Lee Teng-hui in 1992

President Ma: “1992 Consensus” Based on Decision by Lee Teng-hui in 1992

Source: All Taipei Newspapers

Dec. 9 2011

When attending a gathering of a Friends of Ma- Wu Club organized by former National Assemblymen yesterday, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) applauded the contributions made by the then National Assembly to the revision of the Constitution in those years. Ma pointed out on the occasion that twenty years ago, former President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) proclaimed to terminate the Period of Mobilization for the Suppression of Communist Rebellion (動員戡亂時期) and abolish the Temporary Provisions in the Constitution governing that period (臨時條款), and then Lee immediately proceeded to amend the Constitution, incorporating a provision for direct Presidential election. Ma highlighted that “All these changes enabled Taiwan to resume the normal state of Constitutional government.” Especially, the articles related to cross-Strait relations had also been added to the Constitutional amendments, allowing that the situation of a divided rule across the Strait be incorporated in clear-cut provisions in the Constitution.

President Ma said that when presiding over a session of the National Unification Council (國統會) on August 1^st, 1992, former President Lee Teng-hui gave a definition for the meaning of “One China.” Lee explained that on the Mainland, One China referred to the People’s Republic of China, and on Taiwan, the Republic of China. Ma added that the “One China, Different Interpretations” in the “1992 Consensus” could actually trace its roots to that time.

Ma Ying-jeou believed that if Taipei and Beijing, with different views, would like to shelf their disputes and create a win-win situation, wasn’t that the current “1992 Consensus”? The “1992 Consensus” was based on the Constitution, and it was based on Lee Teng-hui’s decision. Moreover, “the ‘1992 Consensus’ not only had ample legal basis, but also had brought practical effects,” added Ma.

On the foundation of the “1992 Consensus,” said Ma, disputes regarding sovereignty should be skirted and temporarily shelved, so that both sides of the Strait could jointly pursue other significant bread-and-butter issues. Otherwise, how could we possibly have signed 16 agreements with the Mainland, allowing an unprecedented peace in cross-Strait relation?

In reply to President Ma’s remarks, Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) stated last night that Lee Teng-hui was still living, therefore Ma could ask him in person whether or not the “1992 Consensus” in fact existed. Nevertheless, Chen also added that, when hearing Ma repeatedly referred to the existence of the “1992 Consensus”, Lee did said, “Sheer nonsense!”

Chen said that both Lee Teng-hui and Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫), the late Chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation (海基會), refuted the existence of the “1992 Consensus,” so he was totally confused why Ma Ying-jeou kept making protestations in that regard. In fact, the 1992 talks were nothing more than consultations on administrative matters. The Mainland didn’t allow Taiwan to define the meaning of the term “One China” at all. On the other hand, Lee didn’t make any response to Ma’s remarks so far.  

[Editor’s note: Regarding Koo Chen-fu’s statements about the “1992 Consensus,” Winston Yang (楊力宇), a professor at Seton Hall University in the United States, contributed an article to a local newspaper, refuting the DPP for denying 1992 Consensus. Please refer to a translation of the article posted on this web site on December 8^th.

(http://www.kmt.org.tw/english/page.aspx?type=article&mnum=112&anum=10552&kw=%e6%a5%8a%e5%8a%9b%e5%ae%87)]

Attachment : none