Date: September 15, 2016
MAC Press Release No. 65
Deputy Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Lin Cheng-yi today (September 15, 2016, U.S. Eastern Standard Time) presented a keynote speech in Washington, D.C. on the topic of "Maintaining Peace and Stability in the Taiwan Strait Is a Shared Goal of Both Sides." He emphasized that, based on respect for historical facts and the existing political foundation, the government has continued to promote the peaceful and stable development of cross-Strait relations. This firm pledge has demonstrated the attitude and determination of the government to pragmatically handle cross-Strait affairs and the core values of the cross-Strait policy implemented under the current administration.
Deputy Minister Lin indicated that maintaining the status quo of cross-Strait peace and stability not only accords with the respective development interests of both sides, but is also a general expectation in the international community. The R.O.C. government has always believed that dialogue and communication are the most important keys to maintaining peace and stability in cross-Strait relations and to establishing mutual trust between the two sides. The point is that goodwill and dialogue must be based on mutual respect for each other's different development experience and distinct political systems, ideologies, and social operation modes to effectively and properly control differences and seek the greatest possible ground for cross-Strait cooperation and consensus and make this the new normal in the development of cross-Strait relations.
The MAC has also made appeals and taken actions related to the new cross-Strait situation. Taiwan will continue to open a wide door to cross-Strait communication and dialogue, work to create a friendly atmosphere, and break deadlocks. The MAC has also called on both parties to endeavor to show goodwill and gradually establish mutual trust; to communicate informally and find common awareness and understanding; to put the people first and prioritize the public's well-being and interests; and to expand cross-Strait economic and trade exchanges and cooperation to the shared benefit of both sides. The R.O.C. government will strive to promote legislation of the Cross-Strait Agreement Supervisory Act and maintain benign cross-Strait interactions.
The MAC said that Deputy Minister Lin was invited by the Brookings Institution to attend the international symposium on "Cross-Strait Relations under the Tsai Ing-wen Administration" jointly held by the Institute of International Relations at National Chengchi University, the Brookings Institution, and Center for Strategic and International Studies. He fully explained to the participants the important implications of Taiwan's Mainland policy and thanked the U.S. for its support and encouragement of this policy. After Deputy Minister Lin's speech, participants enthusiastically raised questions on subjects including the difference between the "1992 Consensus" and "1992 Talks," the current situation with various cross-Strait communication channels, and the significance of President Tsai's words on the R.O.C. Constitution and the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area in her inaugural address. Deputy Minister Lin told the participants that, although the MAC and Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) communication channels have been temporarily interrupted, the contact windows for the 21 cross-Strait agreements signed are still operational. In her inaugural address, the President spoke about respect for the historical fact of the joint acknowledgement and understanding reached between the SEF and the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) in 1992 and the handling of cross-Strait affairs according to the R.O.C. Constitution and the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, showing Taiwan's utmost good will. It is hoped that the Mainland can conscientiously appreciate and pragmatically understand that the two sides must show wisdom to jointly resolve the differences.
Nearly 120 people attended the symposium including representatives from government and academic circles in Taiwan and the U.S., Mainland scholars, and other persons from various sectors. While in Washington and New York, Deputy Minister Lin plans to call on officials, important think tanks, scholars and experts to demonstrate the policies and actions of the R.O.C. government to promote the development of cross-Strait relations.