Date: September 9, 2016
MAC Press Release No. 60
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) issued the following statement today (September 9, 2016) regarding media reports on a letter sent by the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) to the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS):
1. The SEF will convene a meeting of the board of directors and the supervisory board on September 12 and hold a by-election for a new chairman. After completion of the relevant personnel operation procedures, the SEF will formally inform the ARATS. The related operations are currently still under planning and handling. The MAC did not explain the specific content of the SEF letter to the public and related reports quoting the correspondence are purely speculation. The government understands the concern of all parties for the healthy development of cross-Strait relations.
2. The government has repeatedly expressed respect for the historical facts of the negotiations and communication between the SEF and the ARATS in 1992. According to a public opinion survey commissioned by the MAC in June this year (2016), over 70% of the public support the president in this position. Taiwan's policy position has been consistent and clear, has not changed.
3. Since May 20, the ROC government has been committed to the peaceful and stable development of cross-Strait relations in its cross-Strait policy position, laws, regulations, and related actions and measures. In this firm attitude, the government has exhibited considerable goodwill and attempted to narrow the cognitive distance between the two sides. We hope that mainland China can pragmatically understand and respond. At the same time, the two sides both bear the responsibility to jointly safeguard existing achievements and protect the interests and well-being of the people.