Date: October 15, 2017
MAC Press Release No. 72
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) today (October 15, 2017) issued the following opinions regarding statements by the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on the results of its Taiwan-related work:
1. The Republic of China is a sovereign state. Since May 20 last year, the government has been firm and consistent in its policy to maintain the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. It has shown the greatest goodwill and flexibility, conformed with the Asia-Pacific security interests of regional parties, and gained affirmation from the international community. The government and the 23 million people of Taiwan are absolutely firm in their conviction to defend the nation's sovereignty, dignity, and democratic system. The authorities in Beijing require wisdom and patience to understand and face this fact pragmatically.
2. For over a year, the Mainland authorities have continued to take coercive and suppressive negative actions. They have unilaterally established a "one China" political principle, internationally belittled and humiliated Taiwan, attempted to intensify conflict between the two sides, and failed to respect the opinion and concerns of the people of Taiwan on promoting the development of cross-Strait relations. This is not beneficial to the development of ties between the two sides. We have exercised self-restraint and remained reasonable. However, this does not provide a pretext for the other side to shirk responsibility nor declare the propriety or success of its Taiwan-related work. At the same time, Taiwan cannot accept the so-called "one country, two systems" formula.
3. We believe that maintaining benign cross-Strait interactions is a mutual responsibility of both sides. The cross-Strait relationship does not simply involve yielding to the political might of one side. This would be a neither fair nor just approach. We call on mainland China, as it prepares for its 19th Party Congress and at a critical moment of change, to consider the path of development for cross-Strait relations with a forward-looking and innovative new mindset. On the basis of interaction and exchanges between the two sides over the past three decades, the Mainland should learn to find intersections for cooperation within differences and resolve problems through communication in good faith. Only then can the two sides advance in the same direction in the future.