July 12, 2014
Mac News Release No. 66
Deputy Minister Lin Chu-chia of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) presented a keynote speech at the 40th Annual Conference for Overseas Chinese in Europe today (July 12, 2014). Deputy Minister Lin said that the government has maintained the status quo of "no unification, no independence and no use of force" under the ROC Constitution framework and, on the foundation of the “1992 Consensus of one China, with respective interpretations,” has shelved disputes to jointly create a mutually beneficial relationship. This has earned the affirmation of the people across the Strait and in the international community, as well as created a model for peaceful development in the Asia-Pacific region.
In his speech to the overseas Chinese participants, Deputy Minister Lin said that the first exchange visits between MAC Minister Wang Yu-chi and Director Zhang Zhijun of the Mainland's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) were carried out in February and June of this year (2014). The two sides also held meetings between heads of their respective cross-strait competent authorities and reached consensuses in several areas, including the establishment of a normal communication and liaison mechanism between the MAC and the TAO. The meetings represented the beginning of normalized official interactions and contact across the Strait and were beneficial to the smooth promotion of cross-strait affairs and benign development of cross-strait relations.
Deputy Minister Lin also briefed the overseas Chinese participants on the latest developments in cross-strait negotiations, such as the successively holding of the Second Cross-Strait Agreement Result and Review Meeting and the SEF-ARATS Tenth High-Level Talks in February this year, and the signing of the Cross-Strait Seismological Monitoring Cooperation Agreement and Cross-Strait Meteorological Cooperation Agreement. Deputy Minister Lin also stated that through a "building blocks" approach adapted over the past six years, institutionalized cross-strait negotiation mechanism has laid a solid foundation for long-term peace across the Strait. Moreover, the orderly exchange environment established through the cross-strait agreements has enabled the benefits of negotiations to be shared by all of the people.
Deputy Minister Lin stated that, Taiwan is an important member of the Asia-Pacific region; looking to the future as Taiwan faces the trend of rapid economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region, the government’s strategy is to promote both regional economic integration and cross-strait economic and trade, as well as complete ECFA follow-up negotiations on the Trade in Goods Agreement and Dispute Settlement Agreement. The government will also endeavor to join the Trans-Pacific Strategic Partnership Agreement, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, and other regional economic integration pacts. These efforts will not only link Taiwan’s economy with the Asia-Pacific and global markets, but will also create a carpool effect on deepening cross-strait economic and trade, as well as reinforce public confidence in cross-strait and regional trade liberalization.
After the speech, Deputy Minister Lin engaged in warm interactions with the overseas Chinese participants, many of whom affirmed the government's commitment to maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait and the progress of cross-strait interactions. Deputy Minister Lin expressed hopes that the overseas Chinese community would continue to support the government's Mainland policy and work together to create an avenue of peace and prosperity in the Taiwan Strait.