Press Release No. 020
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) issued the following press release today (April 28, 2023) in response to former President Ma Ying-jeou’s personal interpretation of the Constitution of the Republic of China during a forum in Greece and used this interpretation to justify his criticism over the current president of our country in front of foreign audiences. This latest misstep is deeply regrettable.
The MAC stated that, in recent years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities have deliberately resorted to harsh rhetoric, military intimidation, and other tactics to coerce Taiwan into accepting its "one China” principle; meanwhile, they have insisted that Taiwan must accept the CCP's rule. In defense of our nation’s sovereignty, democracy, and freedom, our government firmly rejects the CCP's political blackmail, which is the fundamental reason for the suspension of official interactions between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Former President Ma had not only completely distorted the historical context of cross-Strait disputes but exploited the audience's lack of understanding of the cross-Strait controversy to echo the CCP's claims and criticize the current president of our country. This is unacceptable to the people of Taiwan.
The MAC indicated that Ma should not forget that, during his meeting with Xi Jinping in Singapore in November 2015, he submitted to the CCP’s pressure by agreeing not to publicly mention his so-called "one China with respective interpretations" framework. What grounds are there for him to bring up the contributions or value that the Ma-Xi meeting might have had on cross-Strait relations?
In the face of the CCP's continued pressure and attempts to force Taiwan to surrender, the MAC called on people in Taiwan to unite across party lines to safeguard the dignity and development of our country. It also urged Ma not to make any further moves unacceptable to the people of Taiwan.