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ARATS President Calls for New Cross-Straits Talks
Wang Daohan, president of the Association for Relations across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), has called for new cross-straits talks based on the consensus of One- China Principle reached in 1992.
Wang made the suggestion in the form of an article, published Friday, to mark the eighth anniversary of his talks with Koo Chen- fu, chairman of the board of directors of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), held in Singapore in 1993.
In the article, Wang attributed the success of the talks, known as "Wang-Koo Meeting," to the consensus which, he said, is a show of the sense of historical responsibility, sincerity, and goodwill of both sides.
The two sides would not have sat together without consensus as the common ground, he stressed.
Although the two sides gave different explanations on the political meaning of one China before national reunification is realized, they shared a common view on key issues on the adherence to the One-China Principle and made efforts to seek for national reunification, according to the ARATS president.
Wang highlighted the historic importance of the "Wang-Koo Meeting," saying it fully symbolizes the objective fact that both sides across the Taiwan Straits belong to one China.
The ARATS leader recalled that his handshake with his counterpart from Taiwan marked the national identification and feelings. "Wang-Koo Meeting" made it clear that despite the fact that the two sides have not unified, neither China's sovereignty nor its territorial integrity has been separated, he noted.
Wang quoted President Jiang Zemin to reiterate, "Under the prerequisite of one China, everything is negotiable."
According to Wang, since last year, Vice Premier Qian Qichen has explained many times, "There is only one China in the world; both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China; and China's sovereignty and territorial integrity are inseparable."
The past eight years has witnessed the adverse current of " state-to-state theory" and the major change in Taiwan's political situation, Wang said. Currently, compatriots from both sides of the straits are strongly demanding for stability and improvement in cross-straits relations, he noted.
Like the compatriots living in Taiwan, the mainland sincerely wishes that the ARATS and the SEF could begin new talks based on the consensus of 1992, he said.
Wang criticized the new leader of Taiwan Authorities for its refusal to recognize the One-China Principle and the 1992 consensus between the two bodies ever since he took office a year ago.
The mainland values the 1992 consensus and wants to resume the talks based on it, without any new demands, he said.
Wang criticized Taiwan Authorities' attempts to change the base of "Wang-Koo Meeting" and new talks between the two bodies. What the Taiwan Authorities have done is not to "put aside disputes" and seek for resolution but to make trouble and tension, he noted.
If Taiwan Authorities are sincere to hold cross-straits dialogue, they must recognize the One-China Principle and the 1992 consensus as a practical action in efforts to resume the talks, he stressed.
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