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Official Recalls 1992's Cross-Straits' Consensus on One-China Principle
In November 1992, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), of China's mainland, and the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), of China's island province of Taiwan, reached a consensus on the One-China Principle.
The two institutions agreed that they would express, by word of mouth, the consensus that "the two sides of the straits both adhere to the One-China Principle."
The remarks were made by an ARATS official in a recent interview with Xinhua on how the consensus was acquired between the two bodies eight years ago.
In the early 1990s, the two sides began substantial contacts for the first time. Afterwards, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the ARATS proposed to uphold the One-China Principle in their talks and agreements, in view of the fact that all the concrete issues concerning cross-straits contacts are China's internal affairs.
The mainland's stance is that in future talks, it is necessary to stick to the One-China Principle, while its political meaning need not be discussed and its ways of expression are negotiable.
On August 1, 1992, the "National Unification Commission" of the Taiwan authorities, reached a "conclusion" on the meaning of One China in talks between the ARATS and the SEF.
The "conclusion" says "both sides of the straits adhere to the One-China Principle, but its meaning is different for the two sides;" "Taiwan is a part of China, while the mainland is also a part of China;" the Taiwan authorities "is promulgating the guideline on national reunification and initiating the pace of reunification."
According to the ARATS official, the "conclusion" indicates that Taiwan authorities has made it clear that "both sides of the straits adhere to the One-China Principle" and recognized that Taiwan is a part of China and peaceful reunification is to be sought, although it preaches "separation and separate governance across the straits" and "two equal political entities".
On August 27, 1992, the leader of the ARATS pointed out in a statement that the confirmation of "both sides of the straits adhere to the One-China Principle" by the "conclusion" is of great importance to cross-straits talks. It indicates that adhering to the One-China Principle in cross-straits talks is a consensus between the two sides, said the ARATS leader.
Meanwhile, the ARATS leader made it clear that the ARATS disagreed with the Taiwan side on the understanding of the meaning of "One China", saying the ARATS had consistently advocated "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems" and opposed "two Chinas", or "one China, one Taiwan" or "two equal political entities".
From October 28-30, 1992, the ARATS and the SEF continued their talks on the use of notarial deeds of the two sides. Each of the two parties proposed five written drafts on the expression of the One-China Principle, but they failed to reach an agreement on the written expression.
At the end of the talks, the SEF suggested, "each side could express its own stance, by word of mouth, in a scope which could be accepted by either side." The SEF proposed three more drafts on the expression.
The eighth draft of the SEF says, "In the process of seeking national reunification, both sides of the straits adhere to the One-China Principle, but are differed on the understanding of the meaning of One China."
Officials from the SEF read out the draft word by word in the presence of ARATS representatives, while the latter recorded it at the request of the former.
After studying the SEF's eighth draft, the ARATS concluded that the draft shows that the Taiwan authorities and the SEF are seeking reunification and adhering to the One-China Principle. The ARATS officials took note that the draft refers to "different understanding" on the meaning of "One China", but it does not elaborate Taiwan's understanding.
The ARATS said that it could consider the SEF draft and, meanwhile, proposed its own draft as the base for reaching a consensus on the One-China Principle.
After having learnt that the SEF "has received approval by the authorities on respective expression by word of mouth," the ARATS sent a letter to the SEF on November 16, 1992.
The letter says, as the SEF "proposed concrete contents on the expression" of the One-China Principle and "clearly advocated that both sides of the straits adhere to the One-China Principle" in the talks in October, the ARATS agreed on the advocacy of the One-China Principle in the respective ways of both sides through word of mouth.
And, the ARATS elaborated the main points of its unwritten expression, i.e., both sides of the straits adhere to the One-China Principle and strive for national reunification, but the political meaning of One China will not be involved in cross-straits talks.
The ARATS draft of unwritten expression was included in its letter as part of the consensus accepted by both sides. In its December 3 letter, the SEF offered no different views on it.
Since then, the two sides believed that they have reached consensus and the above-mentioned sentence is the concrete contents of the consensus negotiated and accepted by the two sides, the ARATS official told Xinhua.
The official criticized the new leader of the Taiwan authorities for his fallacy that "there are no records on the consensus reached by the two bodies in 1992." The official said that the two bodies both basically expressed in the consensus that "both sides of the straits adhere to the One-China Principle" and "are striving for national reunification."
In regard to the political meaning of One China, the SEF showed "different understanding" while the ARATS said it will "not be involved in talks," showing that the two sides were seeking common ground while retaining their differences.
The official noted that in view of the fact of the 1992 consensus between the two bodies, the ARATS believes that the two bodies reached the consensus in expressing "both sides of the straits adhere to the One-China Principle" by word of mouth.
The differences are the ways of expression, not the contents of the consensus, the official pointed out. The consensus is that both sides of the straits adhere to the One-China Principle, the official stressed.
The unwritten expressions are contained in both the eighth draft of the SEF and the November 16 letter of the ARATS, which are not boundless and optional, the official added.
Although the two sides differed on the political meaning of One China, the consensus in 1992 shows that there is no obstacle for the two sides in expressing the adherence to the One-China Principle and seeking for peaceful reunification and in recognizing that there is only one China in the world, that both the mainland and Taiwan belong to One China, and that China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity are inalienable, the official said.
The consensus that the two bodies agreed to adhere to the One-China Principle and not to discuss the political meaning of One China for the time being has laid a foundation for the successful talks between Wang Daohan, then president of the ARATS, and Koo Chen-fu, then head of the SEF. The consensus also paved way for talks afterwards and the introduction of cross-straits political dialogs in 1998, which have played an important role in improving and developing the cross-straits ties, the official noted.
On May 20 this year, the official recalled, the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council published a statement which says "we are willing to authorize the ARATS to contact and talk with the groups and individuals entrusted by the Taiwan side, if only the Taiwan authorities makes a clear promise that it will not carry out the 'two-state theory', will adhere to the consensus reached by the ARATS and the SEF in 1992 in expressing, respectively and by word of mouth , that both sides of the straits adhere to the One-China Principle." However, the new Taiwan leader has refused to accept the One-China Principle and recognize the 1992 consensus between the two bodies�� resulting in difficulties in resuming cross-straits talks and resolving the crisis in cross-straits ties, which has been commonly opposed by the mainland side and the majority of the Taiwan compatriots, the official said.
The official urged the new leader of Taiwan to give a clear recognition on the 1992 consensus between the two bodies, by returning to the stance that "both sides of the straits adhere to the One-China Principle" and "making joint efforts to seek for national reunification." The new leader of Taiwan should not play on technicalities on the issue, the official said. The cross-straits struggle on the 1992 consensus concerns whether to adhere to the One-China Principle or adopt "pro-Taiwan independence" separatism, the official said.
The mainland's stance on the One-China Principle is unshakable, the official said, stressing "we demand the new leader of Taiwan to recognize the One-China Principle and abandon his separatist stance." There is no stable base for the two bodies to resume their talks and for the two sides of the straits to improve their ties, unless the Taiwan authorities expresses its attitudes of adhering to the One-China Principle and seeking national reunification, the official said.
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