MAC: The Chinese authorities should not only face up to the fact that both sides of the Taiwan Strait have no jurisdiction over each other, but should also improve freedom of the press
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) solemnly indicated today (January 31, 2007) that the Chinese authorities have recently heightened political pressures on Taiwan. With regard to internal developments in Taiwan, including the promotion of democracy, development of national identity and Taiwan-centric consciousness, and the revision of Taiwan’s history textbooks based on the reality, the Chinese authorities have not only intentionally and maliciously distorted the facts, but have also unilaterally interpreted and criticized these developments. This amply shows that the Chinese authorities are unwilling to face up to and respect the existence of the Republic of China and that they have fully ignored the historical fact that both sides of the Taiwan Strait have no jurisdiction over each other. The MAC emphasized that the Taiwanese government has clearly indicated that the editing and revision of Taiwan's history textbooks is unrelated to the unification versus independence issue. Rather, it is intended to show Taiwan’s respect for history and actual situations, to more pragmatically highlight the diversity and the openness of Taiwan, as well as to accord with the trend of historical views. However, the Chinese authorities have unremittingly attempted to unilaterally impose a political framework on Taiwan, and they have even used military means to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. This exposes their consistent disrespect for historical reality, disregard for Taiwan’s mainstream public opinion, as well as their fear and rejection of democratic thinking. This is undoubtedly the greatest obstacle to the development of current cross-strait relations.
The MAC emphasized that Taiwan is an independent sovereign state, with an area of just 36,000 square kilometers and a population of only 23 million. It is a fact as well as the status quo that both sides of the Taiwan Strait have no jurisdiction over each other. Regarding the future development of cross-strait relations, the Taiwanese government has continually reiterated that based on the premise of “peaceful development and freedom of choice,” Taiwan will not exclude any possibility of establishing relations with China in any form whatsoever. Moreover, China should show respect for Taiwan-centric consciousness and the ultimate right of the 23 million Taiwanese people to choose their future. The MAC indicated that in the current stage, only when China has achieved democratization, will it be possible for China to truly understand Taiwan, thus resolving cross-strait political disputes. Only through such an approach, will it be possible to change the Chinese authorities' appalling action of constantly suppressing Taiwan under the pretext of Taiwan independence.
The MAC indicated that the Taiwanese government will continue to promote the already-existing cross-strait exchanges, including the promotion of the development of cross-strait media exchanges in a normalized and orderly manner. However, since China does not respect the concept of freedom of the press, it has long drawn intense criticism from the international community. Over recent years, the Chinese authorities have sought to consolidate their political legitimacy through the sustained and comprehensive control over news reporting and the internet. China has the world’s worst record in terms of persecuting, detaining, controlling, sentencing, and harming members of the media. Recently, the Chinese authorities have partially allowed access to some Taiwanese news resources on the internet, and they have relaxed, “for a limited time due to the differing nature of matters,” news gathering activities for the Olympic Games. These moves indeed will help improve freedom of the press in China. However, Taiwanese media still face numerous restrictions on news coverage in China. Moreover, China has not yet made a positive response to Taiwan’s proposal that China should allow Chinese local newspaper groups to post their journalists in Taiwan. This clearly shows that basically the Chinese authorities still handle cross-strait media exchanges based on political considerations.
The MAC urged China to face the fact that the freedom of reporting as well as free circulation of news and information is an important link in democratic development. It is also one of the remarkable differences between the systems on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Through various channels, Taiwan can assist China in developing democracy and realizing freedom of the press and freedom of speech. The most urgent tasks facing China are to conduct self-criticism, to actively ease controls on the domestic and foreign news media, and to improve its record on suppressing human rights activists and restricting freedom of speech. The Taiwanese government hopes that China can take initiative in honoring its original pledge to improve the human rights situation and freedom of the press during the 2008 Olympic Games, and to follow the right path of truly respecting freedom of the press.