Date: March 5, 2016
MAC Press Release No. 23
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) today (March 5, 2016) stated, in response to the Mainland leader’s recent statement on cross-strait ties that, over the past eight years, the government’s main principle in setting its Mainland policy has been to resolutely safeguard national dignity and the well-being of the people, and to firmly maintain the cross-strait status quo of "no unification, no independence and no use of force" under the ROC Constitution framework. The resulting peace dividends of this policy has been supported by Taiwan mainstream public opinion and affirmed by the international community.
The MAC stressed that the "1992 Consensus" of "one China, with respective interpretations" is the key to institutionalized cross-strait negotiations, interaction and exchanges, with the core value of highlighting the ROC sovereignty The Mainland should face up to this cross-strait reality and truly respect and understand the Taiwanese people’s feelings and views, which would benefit further pragmatic development in cross-strait relations.
The MAC reiterated that promoting peaceful and stable relations across the Strait is the shared responsibility of both sides. Taiwan believes that the two sides should work together on the basis of past interactions and achieved results, show mutual respect, cooperate pragmatically, continue to maintain institutionalized cross-strait negotiations and official interactions, and deepen exchanges in various fields. This is the only way to genuinely create long-term well-being for people on both sides and maintain lasting peace in the Taiwan Strait.