Commentary: Let the Knot Makers Untie the Knot

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, May 14, 2002

Commentary: Let the Knot Makers Untie the Knot

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In his speech delivered in Dadan Island, Jinmen (Quemoy) Islands on May 9, the leader of Taiwan authorities spoke at length about the need "to promote mutual understanding and conciliation between political parties", saying that in order to "re-open the door to consultations". The first step is primarily to have an exchange of visits, and it is planned that after August 1, the director of the "China Affairs Department" of the Democratic Progressive Party will be motivated to lead a delegation to visit the mainland.

The speech is filled with perceptual color and makes a full gesture, but it dwells on the abstract and avoids the real issue, evades serious matters and takes up trifles, deliberately "neglects" a basic fact, that is: the Democratic Progressive Party's "Taiwan independence" program closes the door to contact and dialogs with the Chinese mainland.

At the beginning of its establishment, the Democratic Progressive Party had done many useful things in its opposition to the dictatorship of Taiwan authorities and accelerating the process of Taiwan's democratization and had thus exerted positive roles, history has given it due evaluation. However, changes later took place in the Democratic Progressive Party that was led astray by a tiny handful of politicians.

In October 1991, the resolution passed at a hardware meeting of the Democratic Progressive Party incorporated "the establishment of an independent republic of Taiwan" into its party program, so the Democratic Progressive Party has since degenerated into an open "Taiwan independence party".

Although later some far-sighted personages inside the said Party exerted efforts, attempting to revise and even abolish the "Taiwan independence" party program, some persons also put forward the saying that the "Taiwan independence party program was a historical document" and that "the Democratic Progressive Party would not easily declare Taiwan independence", so as to reduce doubts and misgivings on the part of the people between the two sides of Straits and the international community and to win more votes, however, a few diehard "Taiwan independence" elements inside the Democratic Progressive Party stubbornly hold to the "Taiwan independence" party program, the Democratic Progressive Party's essence of working for division and for "Taiwan independence" has not yet changed.

The Democratic Progressive Party is not of a monolithic block from the very beginning. When the "Taiwan independence" party program was passed in 1991, there existed great divergence inside the party, on the question of whether or not to revise and abolish the "Taiwan independence" party program, the heated arguments inside the Democratic Progressive Party have never ceased. Since the Democratic Progressive Party came to power, the political advocacy featuring deviation from "Taiwan independence", and inclination to the middle has experienced new development in the party, whereas the advocacy for "Taiwan independence" can only represent the will of the minority in the Democratic Progressive Party.

The Chinese mainland has recently, on many occasions, expressed welcome to members of the Democratic Progressive Party to come, in an appropriate capacity, to the mainland for visit, to have personal experience of our culture of the same clan and the same source and the magnificent mountains and rivers of our great motherland, to see for themselves the unlimited business opportunities, created by the tremendous changes taken place in the Chinese mainland and its rapid economic development over past years, for the two sides of the Straits to join hands for cooperation and common prosperity, and to have a direct understanding of the profound sentiments of friendship shown by the mainlanders for Taiwan compatriots and their longing for an early end to the painful situation caused by the separation of flesh-and-blood related kins.

In recent years, many members of the Democratic Progressive Party have come in an appropriate capacity to the mainland for tour and exchange, and their number tends to increase continuously. This trend is beneficial to strengthening cross-Strait links and to improving and developing cross-Strait relationship.

We are willing to have extensive contacts and exchanges with all members of various parties, organizations and personages in Taiwan who favor the one China principle and the development of cross-Strait relationship, so as to enhance understanding and strengthen consensus. Our door is also open wide to the Democratic Progressive Party, so long as it abandons the "Taiwan independence" party program and accept the one China principle, we will welcome it at all times to organize delegations in the name of the party to come for visit.

The crux of the matter at the moment is that the Democratic Progressive Party sticks fast to the "Taiwan independence" party program, it closes the door itself to contacts with the Chinese mainland. We cherish the greatest sincerity for improving and developing cross-Strait relationship and are willing to take a pragmatic attitude toward handling the question concerning contacts with the Democratic Progressive Party, but the knot maker is required to untie the knot.

Taiwan has always been part of China, although the two sides of the Taiwan Straits have not as yet been reunified, China's sovereignty and territorial integrity have not been divided and are not allowed to be separated. The Chinese government and the Chinese people absolutely do not permit all "Taiwan independence" separatist plots to succeed, and the international community does not offer living space for "Taiwan independence".

The broad masses of the Taiwan people who have experienced twists and turbulence in cross-Strait relationship are all the more "seeking for peace, stability and development" and are longing for an earliest possible improvement of cross-Strait relationship and its embarkation onto the track of sound and stable development.

The "Taiwan independence" program of the Democratic Progressive Party is a blasphemy of the national sentiments of the Chinese people, a betrayal to the hundreds of thousands of the Taiwan compatriots who sacrificed themselves during the period of Japanese aggression, the said party program not only distorts the facts related to cross-Strait relationship, but also runs counter to the international political reality, so the "Taiwan independence" road is impassable, the "Taiwan independence" party program must not be retained.

For Taiwan to shake off its economic predicament, for the wellbeing of the Taiwan compatriots, for the improvement and development of cross-Strait relationship and for the peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, abandoning the "Taiwan independence" stand and accepting the one China principle is the only correct choice.

What is currently most necessary for improving and developing cross-Strait relationship is to take actual deeds, and not to put on airs and befuddle opinion. It is hard for the "electoral language" characteristics of those playing fast and loose, and saying one thing while doing another thing to win people's confidence.

Such practice is harmful, not helpful to the cross-Strait relationship. If the leader of Taiwan authorities really has the "sincerity" to improve cross-Strait relationship and promote the resumption of cross-Strait talks, he should make a correct judgment of the situation, face the realities squarely, accept the one China principle with ease and do something useful in spurring the Democratic Progressive Party to completely discard the "Taiwan independence" party program.

The above commentary, written by Feng Sheng, is published in the right-hand bottom of Page 2 of People's Daily on May 13.

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