November 9 , 2014
MAC News Release No. 97
Vincent Siew attended the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) as the special representative of President Ma Ying-jeou and met with Mainland leader Xi Jinping this afternoon (November 9, 2014). During their conversation, the two sides jointly reaffirmed the "1992 Consensus" as the crucial key to peaceful development of cross-strait relations, and that both sides would continue to consolidate this foundation to secure more results favorable to the well-being of the people across the Strait.
During the meeting, Leader Representative Siew proposed that the two sides should adhere to the "Three No Changes" in future promotion of cross-strait relations. The “Three No Changes” include no change in adhering to the objective of jointly safeguarding peaceful developments, no change in adhering to jointly consolidating the "1992 consensus" as an important foundation for cross-strait interactions and negotiations, and no change in jointly promoting institutionalized economic cooperation and enhancing the welfare of the people across the Strait.
Leader Representative Siew stressed that promotion of peaceful developments across the Strait is a mutual and firm goal for both sides. Both sides should expand innovative cooperation mechanisms, properly face the challenges while moving forward in development of economic and trade relations across the Strait, and jointly work to create prosperity for the ethnic Chinese community.
As cross-strait economic developments are currently met with challenges of a rapidly changing world trade pattern and globalization, Leader Representative Siew proposed for the two sides to dedicate efforts in three major directions to create an improved new framework for cross-strait economic relations. Firstly, he stressed that the two sides should establish a new mechanism for joint participation in regional integration; the two sides should support each other and jointly participate in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, and other regional economic cooperation mechanisms to enhance the Taiwanese people’s confidence in cross-strait trade liberalization. Secondly, Leader Representative Siew said the two sides should endeavor to build a new model for cross-strait economic cooperation, actively promote the completion of ECFA follow-up negotiations and, in particular, accelerate the progress of talks on the Cross-Strait Trade in Goods Agreement. Thirdly, he also expressed hopes for the two sides to form a new cross-strait exchanges platform; a new people-centered platform so the public may jointly participate and share in the fruits of cooperation.
During the meeting, Mainland leader Xi Jinping stated that the two sides should insist on the accurate path of the "1992 consensus," continue to enhance mutual trust and positive interaction, and promote benign development in cross-strait relations. He also pointed out that both sides should doubly cherish the hard-won achievements of peaceful cross-strait developments and together work to benefit the people on both sides.
In the future development of cross-strait relations, Leader Representative Siew expressed hopes for the two sides to increase mutual understanding with sincerity and goodwill, resolve respective differences with patience and wisdom, and advance hand in hand to create a win-win situation based on mutual trust and understanding.
The approximately 30-minute meeting was conducted in an atmosphere of natural rapport. MAC Minister Wang Yu-chi, scholars, experts, business representatives and other members of the advisory group also attended the meeting.