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Taiwan Should Take Steps to Improve Cross-Straits Relations
Xinhua News Agency released a signed article Saturday calling on the new Taiwan leader to take steps to improve the relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits.
The article says that the much-anticipated May 20 speech by the new leader was a disappointment.
The speech side-stepped the one-China principle, clarifying only what Taiwan would not do but nothing about what it would do to improve the cross-Straits relations, the article says.
The new leader promised that he would not declare "Taiwan independence" nor push for "the constitutionalization of the two-state remarks," nor "a referendum on reunification vs. independence," and that the abolition of the "National Reunification Council" or the "National Reunification Guidelines" will not be an issue.
Clearly the actions of the new Taiwan leader represent appeasement strategies rather than promises. His true aim is to "satisfy the Taiwan people and the United States," the article says.
On the cross-Straits relations, the speech evaded the one-China principle with vague references in an attempt to bypass the mainland's appeals for improved cross-Straits relations and political talks.
"For the Taiwan authorities, it is of much importance to do something now" on the basis of "not doing certain things", the article says.
Specifically, the Taiwan authorities should open talks and negotiations with the mainland on the basis of the one China principle.
In the meantime, it should push forward the cross-Straits economic cooperation, personnel and other exchanges, and the direct links in trade, transportation and postal services between the two sides of the Straits, the article says.
First, the two sides of the Straits should conduct negotiations and reach an agreement, under the principle of one-China, on formally ending hostilities between them, it says.
The Taiwan authorities must commit to no further promotion of the "two-state" remarks, and adhere to the consensus reached between the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and Taiwan's Strait Exchange Foundation in 1992 that the two sides will express in their own way that 'the two sides of the Straits both adhere to the One-China principle.' If they do so, the mainland would like to authorize the ARATS to contact and hold dialogs with organizations or persons authorized by the Taiwan side.
The article also acknowledges that the problems of the cross-Straits relations that have existed for decades cannot be expected to be solved with one speech.
However, it would be extremely dangerous to evade the issue with word games, while lacking a sincere desire to settle the issue, the courage to forsake "Taiwan independence", and the determination to make a breakthrough.
The article points out that while claiming to be sincere, the Taiwan leader said that Taiwan had bravely stood up. Though he mentioned certain things that he would not do, he also set quite a few preconditions for reunification.
And despite praising the "wisdom of the Chinese," he said that he was "a son of Taiwan," ignoring the fact that he is a Chinese.
The article stresses that the cross-Straits relationship is not a game, and one China is not something to be left to the future to decide.
The issue of Taiwan should not be dragged on forever. Any schemes to split the motherland will meet the strong opposition of the entire Chinese nation, including the compatriots of Taiwan.
"We sincerely hope that the new Taiwan leader will hold himself responsible to the entire Chinese nation, to the international community that wishes China's reunification and stability across the Taiwan Straits, and to the history," the article says.
The development of the cross-Straits relations will continue to prove that foreign forces are unreliable, that the will of the people should not be underestimated, and the move toward reunification will not be stopped by any outsiders, the article concludes.
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