May 27, 2014
Mac News Release No. 050
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) issued the following statement in response to cross-strait development proposals raised by Mr. Shih Ming-Teh and others today (May 27, 2014):
1.The core position of the government's Mainland policy is to abide the mainstream public opinion in Taiwan and squarely face the reality of separate governance across the Taiwan Strait. The government's Mainland policy abides strictly to public opinion. To maintain the cross-strait status quo of "no unification, no independence, and no use of force" under the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of China (ROC) reflects respect for mainstream public opinion in Taiwan. We will also continue to call on the Mainland side to squarely face the reality of separate governance across the Taiwan Strait and the objective existence of the ROC. These are the key issues to the continued deepening and expansion of cross-strait relations.
2."1992 Consensus of one China, with respective interpretations" is the most important basis for peaceful and stable development of cross-strait relations. Over the past six years, on the basis of the 1992 Consensus of one China, with respective interpretations and with the people’s wellbeing in mind, the two sides have pragmatically handled exchange affairs and continuously achieved fruitful results. The two sides should continue on this foundation to face each other more positively and pragmatically and to boldly confront differences in order to enable the continued promotion of mutually beneficial, peaceful and stable cross-strait relations.
3.The government respects proposals on the benign development of cross-strait relations and gives priority to building public consensus on policy consensus. The current majority consensus in Taiwan today is to maintain the status quo and to prioritize promotion of issues relevant to the livelihood, well-being, and protection of the people’s rights and interests on both sides. Currently there is no general consensus formed yet between sectors in Taiwan on highly political sensitive issues such as cross-strait positioning and its future. The government respects rational and objective discussions in all sectors concerning these complex political matters, they are however not imperative to the development of cross-strait relations at this stage. The government's current objective remains to build domestic consensus on Mainland policy and to pragmatically implement signed agreements to work for the greater well-being and interests of the people.