News Reference Material
Date: March June 9, 2023
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) made the following response today (June 9, 2023) regarding the plan of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to hold the 15th Straits Forum and invite people from all sectors of the Taiwan society to participate. The MAC stated that the Straits Forum is an important platform hosted by the CCP to advance its united front work against Taiwan. The CCP has been using exchanges as an excuse to publicize its Taiwan policy of "opposing independence, deepening integration, and promoting unification" and further its political maneuvers. Our government reiterated our consistent policy position on the forum as follows:
1. Prohibiting individuals or groups in Taiwan from co-hosting the Straits Forum and banning all affiliated or follow-up events in Taiwan: Local governments, civic groups, and individuals are banned from co-hosting forum-related activities with mainland China, staging affiliated or follow-up events in Taiwan, or resulting in any de facto convention of the forum in Taiwan.
2. Prohibiting central government personnel from participating the Straits Forum, discouraging local governments in Taiwan from sending staff members to the event: The government prohibits personnel of central government agencies and their subordinate units from attending any Straits Forum related events physically, via videoconferencing, or in any form. It also discourages personnel of local governments from participating in related activities.
3. Prohibiting engagement in "democratic consultations" that endanger our national sovereignty and security, banning participation in activities related to promoting the "one country, two systems model for Taiwan": Any agencies (institutions), individuals, groups, and political parties in Taiwan are prohibited from participating, in any form, in activities related to the "one country, two systems model for Taiwan" or "democratic consultations" advocated by mainland China. Any violation of the law will be handled by the competent authority in accordance with the law.
4. The government reminds the people of Taiwan to comply with the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (hereinafter referred to as the "Cross-Strait Act") and related regulations to avoid violation of the law. To prevent the CCP's united front infiltration of Taiwan from undermining our national sovereignty and constitutional order, the MAC advises the people of Taiwan to not participate in the Straits Forum lightly. The MAC also reminds the people of Taiwan that, when conducting cross-Strait exchanges, they should comply with the Cross-Strait Act and related regulations. The people of Taiwan are banned from signing documents such as agreements or memoranda with mainland China without authorization; from engaging in collaboration or forming alliances with mainland China against the law; and from being instructed, commissioned, or funded to conduct illegal activities. Meanwhile, the people in Taiwan are urged not to cooperate with or echo the CCP’s united front work against Taiwan and turn themselves into models of the CCP’s propaganda campaign.
5. The MAC reminded the people of Taiwan to pay attention to the changes in the COVID-19 pandemic situation in mainland China and make careful assessment to ensure their personal safety. Recently, there has been a rise in COVID-19 cases in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao, so the MAC reminded Taiwanese people that if they intend to visit mainland China, they should fully implement all safety measures to protect their own health. Additionally, this April, mainland China had just passed amendments to the Anti-Espionage Law and has been making arbitrary arrests of overseas individuals including those from Taiwan. It is advised that prior to visiting mainland China, people should carefully assess their personal safety and register on the “Online Registration System for Taiwanese Citizens Visiting Mainland China” so the government can get in immediate contact and provide assistance in case of accidents and emergencies.
The MAC reiterated that the government supports normal cross-Strait people-to-people exchanges that are healthy and orderly, but it opposes any “exchanges” that are united front propaganda and political maneuvers in disguise. The MAC called on all sectors in Taiwan to be vigilant and curb the CCP’s work on dividing and infiltrating Taiwan so we can jointly safeguard our national sovereignty, freedom, and democracy.