Adhering to Principles, Progressing with Time

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, January 29, 2002

Adhering to Principles, Progressing with Time

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Seven years ago, President Jiang Zemin published his important speech titled "Continue to Strive for Promoting Accomplishment of the Great Cause of Reunification of the Motherland". This speech creatively develops Comrade Deng Xiaoping's thought contained in the principles "peaceful reunification, one country, two systems", embodies our Party's principles and policies toward Taiwan and the spirit of advancing with time. It has guided the practice of our work with Taiwan and vigorously boosted the development of cross-Strait relations.

Under the unified leadership of the central authorities in the past seven years, we have, together with various localities and departments, upheld the basic tenets of "peaceful reunification, one country, two systems", thoroughly implemented President Jiang's eight-point proposal, adhered to the one-China principle, waged resolute struggles against the separatist forces of Taiwan and have done huge amounts of work in promoting cross-Strait economic, scientific and technological and cultural exchanges and personnel contacts.

With the joint efforts made by compatriots in both sides of the Taiwan Straits, in the short six years between 1995-2000, the indirect cross-Strait trade volume topped US$130 billion, the number of Taiwan-invested projects approximated 20,000, the volume of contracted investment surpassed US$24 billion and actually used volume US$18 billion. The number of Taiwan compatriots coming to the mainland on visits exceeded 12 million (by turnstile count). Significant progress was made in cross-Strait economic, scientific and technological and cultural exchange and cooperation. In 2001 under the circumstance of world economic depression, the Chinese mainland's economy still maintained a rapid growth, which has produced important influence on boosting cross-Strait exchanges. In the past year, Taiwan compatriots' investment in the Chinese mainland increased by a big margin, the number of invested projects exceeded 4,100, the contracted amount of Taiwan investment hit US$6.9 billion, and actually used Taiwan capital reached US$3.2 billion, with year-on-year increases of 36 percent, 73 percent and 33 percent respectively, making 2001 the best year since 1995. Indirect cross-Strait trade volume topped US$32 billion, with 5.9 percent year-on-year growth. There were nearly 3 million Taiwan compatriots coming to the Chinese mainland on visits or business, a 10.4 percent increase over the previous year. With the purpose of actively serving the broad masses of Taiwan compatriots, the various localities and departments timely handled problems deriving from cross-Strait exchanges and contacts, legally protected the legitimate rights and interests of the Taiwan compatriots and, on the basis of canvassing their opinions and suggestions, improved the work styles of these localities and departments and thus pushed forward various fields of work.

Through cross-Strait exchanges, numerous Taiwan compatriots have strongly realized the close connection between cross-Strait economic cooperation and Taiwan's economic development and their own vital interests. They strongly demand that Taiwan authorities abandon the "no haste, be patient" policy, open direct cross-Strait "three links" of mail, trade and transport. It can be said that further expanding cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and stabilizing, improving and developing cross-Strait ties has become the consensus reached by compatriots between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

However, it is widely known that over the past year, although Taiwan authorities have time and again verbally expressed their willingness to break the political deadlock existing between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits and improve cross-Strait relations, in their actual deeds, however, they have continually damaged cross-Strait relations. They refuse to accept the one-China principle, distort, negate and slander the "92 Consensus", obstruct the opening of direct cross-Strait "three links"; internationally, they unceasingly carry out splittist activities designed to create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan". Particularly necessary to be vigilant is that they are, by the nibbling tactic, constantly pushing ahead with the separatist activities of "gradual Taiwan independence", such as the act to "de-China" and "culturally "Taiwan independence", attempting to lay a social foundation for realizing open "Taiwan independence". Lee Teng-hui gathered together the "Taiwan independence" force to echo each other with some people, instigate tribal scuffles within Taiwan by using so-called provincial contradictions, he continues to trumpet the "two-states theory", constantly poses challenges to the Chinese mainland. Their perverse actions have seriously harmed the fundamental interests of Taiwan compatriots, which constitutes the deep-seated reason behind Taiwan's political turbulence and economic deterioration, it is also the crucial reason for the continued tension in the situation across the Straits and the failure to break the deadlock between the two sides of the Straits, they may gain some influence in a short period or a single incident, but in the end they will definitely be spurned by the people across the Taiwan Straits.

Taiwan compatriots, be they natives of Taiwan Province or from other provinces, all are our brothers and sisters. Compatriots between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits are of the same origin, regions across the Straits are our common homelands. Although the Taiwan political situation has undergone some change, the desire for peace, stability and development is still the mainstream popular will and the strong public aspiration of the Taiwan society. At the current crucial moment concerning development or retrogression, stability or turbulence of cross-Strait relations, Taiwan authorities should not misjudge the situation any more, they should go with the tide, conform to the popular will, adopt substantive steps, do more useful things and create less trouble in order to break the political deadlock between the two sides of the Straits.

In the new year, we will continue to stick to the basic principles of "peaceful reunification, one country, two systems", thoroughly implement President Jiang Zemin's eight-point proposal; we will unswervingly uphold the one-China principle, resolutely oppose any divisive acts of creating "Taiwan independence"; we will further adopt measures to do well various aspects of work with Taiwan in a down-to-earth manner.

We hold that the two sides of the Taiwan Straits should, on the premise of the one-China principle, take the interests of various quarters into consideration, seek common grounds while laying aside differences by a flexible method, establish mutual trust, resume negotiations as soon as possible, and look into the future. Our attitude toward the question of negotiations between the two sides is active and pragmatic. So long as Taiwan authorities clearly accept the one-China principle, acknowledge the "92 Consensus", the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council will immediately authorize the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) to carry out dialogs and consultations with relevant Taiwan department on questions to the concern of both sides.

We will, as always, promote cross-Strait economic, cultural and other exchanges and personnel contacts, strive to boost the healthy development of cross-Strait relations. Both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have joined in succession the World Trade Organization (WTO), this is a rare historical opportunity for further expanding cross-Strait economic exchange and cooperation. We are willing to listen to opinions and suggestions expressed by Taiwan personages from various social circles concerning the establishment of a cross-Strait economic cooperative mechanism. People across the Straits should thereby carry out discussions, have a full exchange of views, promote an early formation of this mechanism and proceed to create a new situation in cross-Strait economic exchange and cooperation.

We will, as always, welcome various political parties and personages from various circles in Taiwan who favor the one-China principle, devote their efforts to improving cross-Strait relations to exchange views with us on developing cross-Strait relations and promoting the peaceful reunification of the motherland. At the same time, we also maintain that most members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are different from a handful of diehard "Taiwan independence" elements. We welcome them, in an appropriate capacity, to come to the Chinese mainland for sightseeing and visit so as to enhance mutual understanding.

The above is the full text of the article by Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, which is published on Page 5 of People's Daily (Overseas Edition)

By People's Daily Online

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