KMT Cultural and Communications Committee

 

                                                                                                                           June 11, 2013

 

Chairman Ma: KMT’s Policies Are Key to Stable Cross-Strait Relations   

 

 

KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou said on June 11 that KMT policies were key to today’s stable cross-Strait relations, adding that since he came to office in 2005, the KMT government strived to maintain the status quo of “no unification, no independence, and no use of force (不統、不獨、不武) ” under the Republic of China Constitution, and promote peaceful cross-Strait exchanges on the basis of the “1992 Consensus (九二共識),” i.e., “One China with Different Interpretations (一中各表).” 

 

Ma said that over the past five years, cross-Strait relations had remained stable under such a framework, adding that cross-Strait relations would continue to remain stable in the future.     

 

Ma made the above remarks while delivering an opening speech at a seminar held by the KMT’s National Development Research Institute for Taiwanese businessmen in the Mainland.   

 

During the speech, Ma said that the government’s policy-making vis-à-vis cross-Strait relations was based on the principle of “economic issues before political ones” and “easier issues before difficult ones.” He added, “In the remaining  three years in my term of office, the focus of the government’s job in cross-Strait relations will cover three directions, i.e., ‘expanding and deepening cross-Strait exchanges,’ ‘exchanging offices of a comprehensive nature on either side of the Strait,’ and ‘pushing for a revamp of the Statute Governing Relations between People across the Taiwan Strait (兩岸人民關係條例).”  

 

Ma said, “Cross-Strait relations are very important. Therefore, right after I came to office in May 2008, the first talks between the heads of the Mainland’s Associations for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), a.k.a. the Chiang-Chen Talks, were held in the Mainland on June 11, 2005, during which both sides of the Strait reached agreement on opening the three direct links across the Taiwan Strait and allowing Mainland tourists to visit Taiwan. On July 4 of the same year, the first groups of Mainland tourists came to Taiwan for sightseeing.”   

 

Ma went on to say, “The fact that the KMT government could reach its objective so quickly after returning to power was due to the meeting between KMT Honorary Chairman Lien Chan and then CCP General-Secretary Hu Jintao in April, 2005. During the Lien-Hu meeting, the two parties reached the Five-Point Vision Consensus which was later incorporated into the KMT Party Platform. As of today, the two sides of the Strait have reached 18 agreements and 2 consensuses. Cross-Strait relations are totally different than in the past.”    

 

Ma said, “Cross-Strait relations are not state-to-state relations, but a special kind of relations. In cross-Strait relations, we hope that the Mainland could also understand the fact that the existence of Taiwan is something that should not be ignored. We urge the Mainland not to suppress Taiwan in the international community, otherwise this would only cause antipathy among Taiwanese people, which is unfavorable for cross-Strait relations.”

 

Ma added, “Since both sides of the Strait began to maintain good relations, Taiwan’s relationships with other countries have also improved. Now, our relations with the US, EU countries, and Japan are the most steady and promising in history. For example, the number of countries that agreed to grant Taiwan visa-waiver or landing visa privileges increased from 54 to 133. This achievement is the result of joint efforts by the government and all people in Taiwan.”