The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) indicated today that constitutional reform is a necessary path that must be taken by Taiwan in pursuing the country’s comprehensive modernization and in solidifying its democracy. With regard to the criticism by the spokesperson of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office directed at Taiwan’s constitutional reform, the MAC solemnly indicated that we could not accept China’s unilateral political assertion in an attempt to monopolize the right to interpret the current cross-strait situation and its rude interference in the Taiwanese people’s aspiration for democratic development. At the same time, this also proves that while China is enacting an Anti-separation Law, it has clearly started to engage in an exclusive definition of the current cross-strait situation, with an attempt to unilaterally dominate the future development of cross-strait relations. The MAC stated that the actions of the mainland Chinese authorities have significantly hinder the establishment of benign cross-strait relations, and shall further destroy the stability across the Taiwan Strait, thereby endangering regional peace and prosperity.
With regard to the Lunar New Year charter flights for the Taiwanese businessmen in China, the MAC indicated that it is the consistent and firm position of the Taiwan government to reinforce its services and to look after the Taiwanese businessmen in China. With regard to this year’s implementation of the Lunar New Year charter flights for Taiwanese businessmen, China has cooperated in negotiating with Taiwan. The negotiations were smoothly completed under the principles of “setting aside disputes, laying no preconditions, expressing mutual respect, acting pragmatically, the government taking initiative, and the private sector providing assistance.” This has shown that both sides of the Strait can resolve existing issues entirely through dialogues and negotiations. We hope that the smooth implementation of the Lunar New Year charter flights for Taiwanese businessmen could become the starting point for the resumption of cross-strait negotiations and even for the normalization of cross-strait relations.