Responding to President Chen Shui-bian’s 2008 New Year's Day Address, the MAC addresses a five-point appeal to the Beijing authorities
With the beginning of the New Year, all things start anew. With regard to President Chen Shui-bian's 2008 New Year's Day Address, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) today (January 1, 2008) reiterates the government's position as follows:
1. We appeal to China to join with Taiwan in promoting cross-strait peace and development, and to join hands with Taiwan in normalizing cross-strait relations. Peace and development are currently the common language of both sides of the Taiwan Strait; moreover, normalization of cross-strait relations is the highest objective of the Taiwanese government's China policy. The establishment of a peaceful and stable framework for cross-strait interactions as proposed by President Chen in 2004 and the "construction of a framework for peaceful development of cross-strait relations" and the "conclusion of a peace agreement" as advocated by Chinese President Hu Jintao in his political report to the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China are conducive to constructive dialogue on peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan wholeheartedly welcomes this new development.
2. We appeal to the Beijing authorities to remove the political obstacle created by the “one China framework” so as to begin peaceful cross-strait dialogue and promote cross-strait development. For a long time, the Beijing authorities have been unwilling to face up to the fact of the existence of the Republic of China. They have unilaterally established the so-called “one China principle” and their constitution stipulates that "Taiwan is part of the sacred territory of the People's Republic of China." Furthermore, China has threatened to annex Taiwan by force and attempted to suffocate Taiwan's space for survival and development in the international arena. This is the biggest obstacle to the normalization of cross-strait relations as well as to cross-strait peace and development.
3. We appeal to the Beijing authorities to learn from past lessons, to stop intimidating Taiwan's democracy and to stop threatening international peace. In the next few months, Taiwan will hold two nationwide elections, one for legislators and another for president. We hope the Beijing authorities will learn from past lessons and not make irresponsible remarks on Taiwan's elections again nor attempt to interfere with the process or outcome of the elections. Otherwise they will only achieve the opposite effect, arousing stronger antipathy among the Taiwanese people while also exposing the Chinese authorities' anti-democracy and anti-human rights nature. In particular, the presidential election will be held in Taiwan concurrently with a referendum on joining the United Nations under the name of "Taiwan." This is an expression of the collective will of the Taiwanese people to join the United Nations, and it neither involves any changes to Taiwan's national title nor makes any changes in the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. We hope that the Beijing authorities can correctly understand this collective aspiration of the Taiwanese people, respect the Taiwanese people's demand for safeguarding the basic human rights of "health, life, security and peace," stop issuing threats on the referendum issue, and stop coercing other countries in the international community and the Taiwanese businesspeople in China into opposing the holding of the referendum.
4. We appeal to the Beijing authorities to immediately stop military intimidation against Taiwan and stop provocative actions that seek to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. In the military aspect, China has steadily expanded military spending at a rapid double-digit annual pace over the past 18 years. Over the past seven years, the number of tactical ballistic missiles deployed along China’s southeast coast opposite Taiwan has increased nearly sevenfold to 1,328 missiles. On the diplomatic front, over the past three years there have been 110 examples involving China’s attempts at changing the status quo and at suppressing Taiwan in the international arena by every conceivable means. One recent example of this kind is that without Taiwan’s approval, the World Health Organization (WHO) has listed eight Taiwanese ports under China in the WHO’s online International Health Regulations (IHR) Authorized Ports List. With regard to cross-strait relations, China has recently deliberated on the establishment of an “air defense identification zone” in the Taiwan Strait, the delimitation of a new civil air route west of the median of the Taiwan Strait, and other measures with a view to changing the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. China's military intimidation and its provocative actions aimed at unilaterally changing the status quo in the Taiwan Strait have caused Taiwan to suffer the crisis of "military and de jure annexation" by China. It is also a root cause of cross-strait confrontation and regional instability.
5. We appeal to the Beijing authorities to stop taking political considerations in mind and to promptly resume negotiations on the many technical matters regarding cross-strait economic and trade exchanges. In January 2005, both sides conducted successful negotiations on the Lunar New Year charter flights; and in November 2005 and June 2006, both sides held another round of successful negotiations on the Lunar New Year charter flights and affirmed their consensus on the implementation of four types of specialized charter flights, respectively. Since January 2007, China has unilaterally set up political obstacles in an attempt to influence Taiwan's election results, preventing both sides from concluding negotiations on the issues of the opening up of tourism in Taiwan for Chinese tourists and the implementation of passenger and cargo charter flights. Looking ahead to a brand-new year, we appeal to China to resume negotiations as soon as possible on technical matters that involve the rights and interests of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and to stop incessant politically-motivated interferences and delays. This is the only way to truly safeguard the basic rights and interests of the people on both sides across the Strait and to take resolute strides toward cross-strait peace and development.