February 25, 2013
No. 015
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) stated in regards to the meeting today (Feb. 25) between Honorary Chairman Lien Chan of the Kuomintang Party (KMT) and General Secretary Xi Jinping of the Chinese Communist Party that it welcomes any exchanges beneficial to cross-strait communication. The MAC indicated that cross-strait relations have made substantial progress due to the government's promotion of its Mainland policy over the past five years, resulting in the signing of 18 agreements and two consensuses between the two sides. The fruitful results achieved through positive interactions and exchanges across the Strait form an important cornerstone for peaceful and stable development of cross-strait relations and should be cherished and jointly upheld to create a win-win outcome for both sides.
The MAC hereby reiterates that the government's Mainland policy adheres to the greatest common factor in the Taiwanese society of maintaining the peaceful status quo of "no unification, no independence, and no use of force" under the ROC Constitution framework. People across the Strait share common hope for peace and prosperity in the Strait and region, which is also in the best interest of current cross-strait developments.
The MAC states that the government will continue to uphold the spirit of shelving disputes and showing mutual respect embodied in the "1992 Consensus of one China with respective interpretations". On this basis, it will engage in negotiations, exchanges, and cooperation with the Mainland, pragmatically promote mutually beneficial cross-strait relations, and continue to deepen mutual trust between the two sides. In facing the new era of cross-strait relations, the government has proposed three specific directions and focuses for promotion of future cross-strait relations, including the expansion and deepening of exchanges, establishment of reciprocal institutions by the Straits Exchange Foundation and the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, and comprehensive review of the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area.
The MAC states that the new Mainland leader has adopted many important reform measures and believes that he has a good understanding of Taiwan. The ROC government hopes that cross-strait relations may continue to make more contributions to the well-being and interests of people on both sides on a foundation of stability and prosperity.