Statement of Wu Poh-hsiung on Cross-Strait Relations

Press Release

Statement of Wu Poh-hsiung on Cross-Strait Relations

Source: KMT Culture and Communications Committee

December 31, 2008

The year 2008 will end soon. The KMT returned to power this year and cross-Strait relations have improved structurally. Both sides of the Taiwan Strait have been divided and separately ruled for nearly 60 years. During this period, we have experienced different phases, such as armed conflict, Cold War-era standoff, and cross-Strait consultations. Taiwan and the Mainland at times had almost been on the verge of war for the past 8 years of the Chen administration, but now both sides of the Taiwan Strait have entered a new stage of harmonious engagement. The most important goal of the KMT’s cross-Strait policy will be to keep on pursuing peace and co-prosperity.

The five points of consensus reached in Beijing between the KMT and the CCP have been incorporated into the KMT platform and have been examined by vox populi in Taiwan, sufficient to uphold a cross-Strait relationship based on peace, stability, development, and prosperity. When I met with General Secretary Hu Jingtao on May 28, I reiterated the consensus of 1992, i.e., One China, Different Interpretations. Both sides would resume institutionalized talks in accordance with the five points of vision. The SEF and the ARATS signed two agreements in June and four agreements in November, respectively. These agreements are beneficial for the well being of the people in Taiwan and beneficial for cross-Strait peaceful development. In addition, the results of the meetings between the SEF and the ARATS not only accord with the fundamental principle of our party’s charter, i.e., “All for Taiwan, All for People,” but also gain support from home and abroad. In the future, the KMT will continue to push for cross-Strait relations based on pragmatism, stability, and vision, bearing in mind the expectations of vox populi and the international community.

The Kuomintang has emphasized Taiwan’s safety, prosperity, and dignity. We shall pursue maximum interests for the people in Taiwan in cross-Strait relations under the principle of parity and dignity. We have been pushing for normalization of cross-Strait economic and trade ties to prevent Taiwan from being marginalized in East Asian economic integration. Likewise, we have never relaxed in our efforts to seek expanded space that Taiwan needs for its international activities, establishing a cross-Strait military confidence-building mechanism, and reaching a peaceful agreement. Today Secretary-General Hu Jintao has responded positively to the above. We are glad to see these commitments, and we further hope that concrete results will be reached in the foreseeable future.

People across the Taiwan Strait share the same bloodline within the Chinese Nation. It is natural for both sides to formulate “greater exchanges, greater developments,” based on the Chinese culture, leading to the creation of cross-Strait “grand peace, grand prosperity.” Of course, currently some cross-Strait issues are not easy to be resolved within a short period of time, and there are still some misgivings in Taiwan’s society over cross-Strait developments. Only through mutual appreciation and insistence on “face reality, shelve disputes, create win-win situation,” continually “accumulate mutual trust, seek commonality and resolve differences,” constantly building up “beneficial interactions, benevolent dialogue,” can both sides resolve difficulties and eliminate misgivings.

The consultations between SEF and ARATS are an irreplaceable channel while the KMT-CCP platform is an extremely important forum of the cross-Strait exchanges. Since the KMT returned to power seven months ago, both the SEF-ARATS consultations and the KMT-CCP platform have contributed a great deal to the promotion of cross-Strait peace and co-prosperity. The KMT will continue to support cross-Strait consultations and safeguard the rights and interests of the 23 million people in Taiwan. Moreover, the KMT will ensure security and stability in the Taiwan Strait and also pursue peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

Attachment : none