Lien Respects Ma’s Cross-Strait Narrative, While Hung Deems It Not Entirely Accurate

 Lien Respects Ma’s Cross-Strait Narrative, While Hung Deems It Not Entirely Accurate

Source: UDN

July 7, 2020

On July 5, former President Ma Ying-jeou addressed the Mainland, saying that “without one China with respective interpretations, there is no 1992 Consensus.” Yesterday, Lien Chan (連戰), a former Vice President, and a former KMT Chairman, expressed his respect for Ma’s cross-Strait narrative, while Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), a former KMT Chairwoman, opined that Ma’s narrative was not entirely accurate.  

The Lien Chan Office pointed out that Lien’s views over the 1992 Consensus had been expressed in a statement issued not long ago, according to which, the 1992 Consensus meant that “both sides of the Taiwan Strait adhere to one China but have different perceptions of the meaning of one China, so both sides respectively interpret ‘one China,’ while seeking commonalities as well as shelving differences and disputes in cross-Strait ties.” Lien also stressed that the value of the 1992 Consensus could not be erased, the Office concluded.  

However, Hung stated that there were two points of consensus in the 1992 Consensus, i.e., the one China principle and seeking reunification in the future. Hung went on to say that with regard to “interpretations” over one China, the Mainland advocated “one China, period,” while Taiwan adhered to “one China with respective interpretations,” adding that this was the part of seeking commonalities while shelving differences and disputes. In Hung’s opinion, the “one China principle,” which both sides made their own interpretation in a verbal statement, was not the “meaning of one China,” whose concrete contents should still await consultations between both sides. “It is inaccurate to directly say that one China with respective interpretations equals the 1992 Consensus,” Hung concluded.

[Editor’s Note: For historical accuracy, we hereby transcribe once again the pertinent part of the PRC Central People’s Government’s news release on March 27, 2008, carrying a hotline telephone conversation between Hu Jintao and George W. Bush:

[“He [Hu] said it is China’s consistent stand that the Chinese Mainland and Taiwan should restore consultation and talks on the basis of ‘the 1992 Consensus,’ which sees both sides recognize there is only one China, but agree to differ on its definition.” ]

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