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Differences remain on ‘1992 consensus’
RECONCILIATION: Presidential Office spokesman Lo Chih-chiang said that the
‘1992 consensus’ was a pivotal buttress for the sound development of
cross-strait relations
By Ko Shu-Ling
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Aug 13, 2010, Page 3
Differences remain between Taipei and Beijing on what the
so-called “1992 consensus” stands for.
The Presidential Office yesterday defined it as an agreement reached in 1992 in
which the two sides agreed that there is only “one China” with each side having
its own interpretation.
“For us, ‘one China’ refers to the Republic of China and there is no other
explanation,” said Presidential Office Spokesman Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強).
China, on the other hand, is of the opinion — as stated by the assistant
minister of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Li Yafei (李亞飛) in Taipei on Wednesday
— that the consensus refers to an understanding reached between Taiwan and China
in 1992 to “separately verbalize the ‘one China’ principle adhered to by the two
sides of the Taiwan Strait.”
While some political observers warned that Li’s statement could be a precursor
to China’s attempt to press Taiwan to enter political negotiations, the Mainland
Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday tried to downplay Li’s remark, saying it was
nothing new.
MAC Deputy Minister Liu Te-shun (劉德勳) said cross-strait issues were complicated
and would take a long time to resolve. Differences remained and both sides need
to accumulate more mutual trust and goodwill to create a win-win scenario, he
said.
Lo yesterday said that the “1992 consensus” was a pivotal buttress for the sound
development of cross-strait relations. Without it, Lo said there would not have
been the 1993 meeting between then-SEF chairman Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫) and then-ARATS
chairman Wang Daohan (汪道涵) in Singapore.
The consensus helped the two sides push reconciliation and cooperation and
eventually would consolidate peace, he added, saying that during the process,
both sides would gradually accumulate mutual trust, build goodwill and create a
win-win situation.
Lo said the Ma administration was glad to see the two sides continue to engage
each other under the “1992 consensus,” adding that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九)
would carry forward the policy of not discussing unification with Beijing during
his presidency, not pursuing or supporting de jure Taiwan independence and not
using military force to resolve the Taiwan issue.
At a separate setting, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Deputy Secretary-General
Chang Jung-kung (張榮恭) said the fact that the two sides have resumed dialogue
based on the “1992 consensus” despite their differences over its content “proves
that the ‘1992 consensus’ works.”
Taiwan and China should continue to maintain such “creative ambiguity” until
they are ready to open political negotiations, he said.
While the KMT has insisted the “1992 consensus” was reached between Taiwan and
China during a meeting in Hong Kong in November 1992, the Democratic Progressive
Party is of the opinion that the “1992 consensus” does not exist and that it was
fabricated by then-MAC chairman Su Chi (蘇起).
Su of the KMT in 2006 admitted he made up the term in 2000 to facilitate
cross-strait talks.
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