MAC Press Release No. 028
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) issued the following press release today (November 2, 2022) to highlight the remarks made by its Deputy Minister Chiu, Chui-Cheng. Deputy Minister Chiu emphasized that the government’s cross-Strait policy stance has been firm and consistent; that is, we are committed to defending sovereignty, dignity, democracy, and freedom, and will never condone any threats or encroachment by any power or regime. We will continue to stand firm on the "Four Commitments" and strengthen our "Four Resiliences" to protect Taiwan. This is a responsible approach in line with the expectations of the region. The MAC also called on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to shoulder its shared responsibility of maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait by seeking to resolve the cross-Strait political differences peacefully under the premises of rationality, equality, and mutual respect.
Deputy Minister Chiu said that the Beijing authorities have, for a long time, sought to coerce Taiwan into accepting its political framework of the "one China" principle through persistent pressure in the areas of politics, military, diplomacy, and economy and trade. This has seriously threatened peace across the Taiwan Strait, undermined regional prosperity and stability, and been rejected by the Taiwan public unequivocally. Deputy Minister Chiu reiterated that, in the face of challenges and pressure from the CCP, Taiwan has been non-provocative and never acted rashly. Our resolute determination to stand firm on our "Four Commitments" has not changed and there is no room for compromise on this point. In the future, Taiwan will continue to strengthen our self-defense capabilities and cooperate closely with like-minded countries to maintain strategic stability. The MAC also urged the CCP authorities to exercise wisdom, show flexibility, and engage in constructive dialogue so the two sides can find a mutually acceptable solution to uphold peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
The MAC stated that Deputy Minister Chiu made the comments above in his opening remarks at the “2022 Taipei Security Dialogue,” an international conference held by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR) under the commission of the MAC. The theme of this international conference was mainland China's strategic intentions under the current international circumstances and the impact of these intentions on the security in the Taiwan Strait and the region. The keynote speaker of the conference was Mr. Chad Sbragia, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China at the US Department of Defense and Research Analyst at the Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA). The keynote speech and exchanges of views among the distinguished scholars and experts in Taiwan and from abroad all enhanced a broader understanding of the latest regional and cross-Strait developments and Taiwan’s policy guidelines and stances.