Only when the Chinese leadership does not militarily suppress Taiwan’s democracy will it be possible to facilitate the benign development of cross-strait relations
In response to the statement made by the Chinese leadership today (September 5, 2007) in Australia regarding a planned referendum on Taiwan's entry into the Untied Nations, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) expresses three opinions as follows:
1. On the surface, the Chinese leadership has repeatedly declared its intention to facilitate the “healthy development” of cross-strait relations. In reality, however, it has consistently adopted ideologies of antagonism and struggle against Taiwan and has continued to suppress Taiwan’s democratic efforts through military intimidation. It has not only dwarfed Taiwan's sovereign status in the international arena, but has also disrupted Taiwan’s solidarity through various means of enticement, thus resulting in the retrogression of cross-strait interactions. China is the very troublemaker that has sabotaged the benign development of cross-strait relations.
2. The Chinese leadership has superficially declared its intention to facilitate the “healthy development” of cross-strait relations. In fact, however, the biggest obstacle to making a breakthrough in cross-strait relations lies in the Beijing regime’s inability to comprehend the democratic ideal that “the sovereignty belongs to the people,” its “stubborn insistence” on the ossified “one China” principle, and its refusal to acknowledge the historical fact that Taiwan and China have no jurisdiction over each other. In addition, Beijing attempts to enforce the “de jure annexation” of Taiwan as well as seeks “unification through military force,” which has seriously hurt the feelings of the Taiwanese people.
3. Taiwan is an independent sovereign country and has the right to join the United Nations. The planned referendum on Taiwan’s entry into the UN is a necessary democratic process to be carried out by the 23 million Taiwanese people to show their collective will. The Chinese authorities should cease verbal threats and military intimidations against the Taiwanese people as soon as possible. In addition, the Chinese leadership should have a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s mainstream public opinion so as to genuinely promote the normalization of cross-strait relations.