The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) made the following response today (December 2, 2021) to questions from the media regarding the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) plan to hold the Straits Forum in the near future, where they may invite individuals to participate as representatives of Taiwan. The MAC stated that the Straits Forum is a large-scale platform hosted by the CCP to advance its united front work against Taiwan; over the years, the CCP has been using this forum as a vehicle to win over the people of Taiwan, divide the Taiwan society, and publicize the outcomes of its united front work against Taiwan in an attempt to achieve its political goal of unification. The MAC’s consistent policy position on the forum is explained as follows:
1. Prohibiting Straits Forum related events from being held in Taiwan. The Straits Forum’s nature as part of the CCP’s united front work remains unchanged regardless of their manifestation in person, by video, or by recording. Mainland China is prohibited from holding affiliated or follow-up forum events in Taiwan; local governments, individuals, or groups in Taiwan are banned from co-hosting forum-related activities in Taiwan with mainland China. The MAC hopes against people of Taiwan attending the forum by video or resulting in any de facto convention of the forum in Taiwan.
2. Prohibiting central government personnel from participating, discouraging local governments in Taiwan from attending, and calling on civil organizations in Taiwan to not lightly participate. Personnel of central government agencies and their subordinate units are prohibited from attending any physical or virtual forum-related events. Personnel of local governments are discouraged from participating in related activities. The public and civil organizations in Taiwan are advised against lightly participating in related activities.
3. Prohibiting engagement in "democratic consultations" that eliminate ROC sovereignty or promotion of the "one country, two systems model for Taiwan." Any agencies (institutions), individuals, groups, and political parties are prohibited from participating, in any form, in activities related to the "one country, two systems model for Taiwan" or "democratic consultations."
4. When engaged in cross-Strait exchanges, the people of Taiwan should 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 law. To prevent the CCP's united front infiltration of Taiwan from undermining our sovereignty and democracy, the government recently passed legislation to strengthen national security, namely the amendment of five national security related laws and regulations and enactment of the Anti-Infiltration Act. The MAC advises people in Taiwan to comply with the Cross-Strait Act and related regulations when conducting cross-Strait exchanges. Furthermore, people in Taiwan are banned from signing documents such as agreements or memoranda with mainland China without authorization; they are also prohibited from engaging in collaboration or forming alliances against the law.
The MAC reiterated that it is the government's established policy position to promote the normal exchanges between people across the Taiwan Strait. The government supports cross-Strait exchanges conducted with parity and dignity, compliant with regulations, and not subject to any political preconditions. Recently the CCP has stepped up its political suppression and military intimidation of Taiwan in a bid to undermine and divide our democratic society; it is possible that the CCP will use the forum this year as a platform to publicize and promote its political stance of “opposing independence and facilitating unification.” The MAC called on all sectors in Taiwan to heed the perceptions of fellow citizens, have a clear understanding of the direction of public opinion, and refrain from cooperating with the CCP's united front maneuvers of Taiwan so as to jointly safeguard the nation's sovereignty, freedom, and democracy.