Jaushieh Joseph Wu
Mainland Affairs Council
China has decided to send the anti-separation law draft to the
standing committee of the National People?s Congress, and the standing committee
of the NPC has approved the draft. I, on behalf of the government of Taiwan,
would like to make the following statement on the event:
After President Chen was re-elected for the second term, the
government of Taiwan has continuously tried to reach out to China with olive
branches and hoped that cross-Strait relations could be improved. Nonetheless,
to the utter disappointment of the Taiwan government and people, the Chinese
government responded every time, without exception, by vicious attacks against
Taiwan. More to our dismay and anger, China issued a statement about its
intention of enacting an anti-separation law to aim specifically at Taiwan. To
Taiwan, this is unilateral change of the status quo, a very serious provocation,
and an absolutely unnecessary escalation of tension for the following reasons:
1. After 1949, the Republic of China and the People?s Republic of
China have been two separate entities and the two have no jurisdictions over
each other. This is the fact that has existed for 55 years and has become the
status quo across the Taiwan Strait. Peaceful coexistence should be a common
goal between the two, rather than forceful annexation or upsetting the status
quo without any peaceful negotiation.
2. China, through enacting the law, as the name of the law
entails, defines the current status as ?unified? and that it has jurisdiction
over Taiwan. In doing so, China unilaterally changes the status quo.
3. In enacting the law, China unilaterally defines that the only
tolerable outcome of the cross-Strait negotiation is unification, and any
outcome other than unification is subject to punishment.
4. In enacting the law, China defines itself as the sole lawmaker
in the cross-Strait interaction.
5. In enacting the law, China defines itself as the sole arbiter
in the settlement of any disputes between the two.
6. In enacting the law, China defines itself as the sole law
enforcer of the outcome of its own unilateral arbitration.
7. In enacting the law, China makes it more explicit than ever in
the use of force against Taiwan as the law will legalize the use of force.
For these reasons, I would urge the international community to pay
attention to the following points:
1. The international community has not said anything to China when
China responded with vicious attacks to Taiwan?s goodwill.
2. The international community has not said anything to China when
China tried to suffocate Taiwan internationally.
3. The international community has not said anything to China when
China continues to impose the ?one China principle? on Taiwan when the principle
is clear attempt to unilaterally changes the status quo.
4. The international community has not expressed explicit concern
or opposition to China?s military buildup, as missile and submarine deployment
has become the most serious threat to the region?s peace and stability.
5. The international community in general has not said ?no? to
China when China was about to enact the anti-separation law.
It is quite clear that the inaction of the international community
to China?s aggressive behavior against Taiwan encourages China to continue and
even escalate its rhetoric and belligerent actions. In general, the
international community?s response to China?s intention of enacting the law is
that they will have to see the text. But by the time the text is released, it
might be too late. The international community?s indifference to China?s hostile
intent signals to China that it can do whatever it wants to Taiwan, including
the use of force after the anti-separation law legalizes it. This is an urgent
call to the international community to stop China before it is too late.
Taiwan?s policy objective remains the same that the
misunderstanding between Taiwan and China needs to be minimized and mutual trust
needs to be built up by having normal interactions between the two, this is what
we actively promote. Beginning from next spring, the Taiwan government will form
the Council of Peace and Development to develop a national consensus on
cross-Strait issues. We would also like to actively seek opportunities to
establish a Framework for Peace and Stability to govern cross-Strait
interactions and to prevent conflicts from happening before a final settlement
is reached. We would like to have dialogues and negotiations with China on any
issue, political issues included, in order to reduce the cross-Strait tension.
But before that happens, the Chinese government, who unnecessarily escalates the
tension by enacting the anti-separation law, has to halt and abandon its plan of
enacting the law.
(This text is a prepared statement by MAC Chairman Jaushieh Joseph
Wu for the press conference on December 27, 2004.)