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2012 ELECTIONS: Ma
challenges Tsai over the ‘1992 consensus’
NO CONSENSUS: Ma rejected the need for a
democratically decided consensus, saying cross-strait relations were based on
democratic processes
By Jake Chung, Chen Hui-ping and Tseng Wei-chen / Staff Reporters
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) attacked Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)
presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) cross-strait policies in an
interview published yesterday, saying that the main reason Tsai refused to
accept the so-called “1992 consensus” is because she does not accept the
Republic of China (ROC).
“The ‘one China’ in ‘one China, with each side having its own interpretation’
refers to the Republic of China,” Ma was quoted as saying in his interview with
the Chinese-language China Times on Thursday. “Why does she [Tsai] not accept
it? How hard can it be? If she can’t accept it then that means that she does not
accept the Republic of China.”
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government says that the “1992 consensus”
was reached during cross-strait talks in Hong Kong in 1992, with both sides
agreeing that there is “one China, with each side having its own
interpretation.”
The DPP says the “1992 consensus” does not exist.
In the interview, Ma focused on the issue of cross-strait policies. He not only
insisted that the “1992 consensus” was not a made-up term, but added that he had
twice asked former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to accept the “1992 consensus”
and met with a positive response, only to have it blocked by Tsai, then serving
as the chairperson of the Mainland Affairs Council.
Referring to Tsai’s proposal of a “Taiwan consensus,” which highlights the
democratic process of decisionmaking, Ma accused Tsai and the DPP of claiming
that -everything must be subject to democratic processes only because they are
against the “1992 consensus.”
The basis for current interaction across the straits is “democratic processes,”
Ma said.
“Our definition of ‘one China’ in the ‘1992 consensus’ is the ROC,” Ma was
quoted as saying in the interview. “Does that need to be submitted to a
democratic process? Do we need to vote again on the name of the nation?”
“Just what kind of democratic process has to be gone through?” Ma asked, adding
that if the DPP was not happy with the term “1992 consensus,” then the matter
could easily be resolved by changing the term to “one China, different
interpretations.”
“Things are generally only named after the fact. The 823 Artillery Bombardment
wasn’t called that when it began; its not like we all decided to agree to have a
artillery battle on Aug. 23,” Ma said.
Cross-strait relations should be based on “mutual denial of each other’s
sovereignty and mutual non-denial of respective jurisdictions,” Ma said, adding
that in the process of current cross-strait relationships, it was preferable to
retain a small gray area while actually getting some things done.
Ma also said that if one treated the ROC as a government-in-exile, then nothing
further could be said on the subject, adding that Tsai had this kind of
“psychological disorder.”
In response to Ma’s criticism that Tsai “does not accept the Republic of China,”
DPP caucus whip Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) yesterday accused Ma of “deliberately
seeking to malign Tsai Ing-wen,” saying that she was running for the presidency
of the ROC and had previously stated that “the ROC is Taiwan.”
Tsai Ing-wen only refused to acknowledge the “1992 consensus” under the “one
China principle,” Tsai Huang-liang said.
“I hope that Ma apologizes for such unbefitting slander,” he added.
DPP spokesperson Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) also said that Tsai Ing-wen had said many
times before that “Taiwan is the ROC, and the ROC is Taiwan.”
“Whether it is that Ma does not understand what Tsai Ing-wen is saying, or he is
deliberately manipulating the issue of national recognition and causing tension
between different groups,” Chen Chi-mai said.
“I cannot condone Ma’s manipulation of the issue,” the spokesperson said.
Chen Chi-mai said there must be a democratic system to focus the “Taiwan
consensus” established on the basic principles of democracy, equality, and
peace.
“By focusing on the ‘Taiwan consensus’ we can then start a dialogue with China
through a variety of levels and channels, and only then can we establish a
long-term and durable cross-strait mechanism,” Chen Chi-mai said.
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