The president then addressed the topic of cross-strait relations. He explained to the delegation that in looking at the cross-strait situation over the past 60 years, the first 30 years were characterized by actual military conflict, while for the latter 30 years the two sides engaged in a cold war that gradually gave way to interaction. The two sides ultimately turned to negotiation to replace confrontation. In 1992 the two sides reached a consensus on "one China," under which both sides uphold the "one China" principle, whereas the definition of which was left open to respective interpretations. Consequently, the two sides agreed on respective verbal interpretations as a means to resolve this issue. President Ma remarked that in fact Taiwan and mainland China have signed 21 agreements since 2008 and that the level of cooperation and interaction involving people, capital, and information is unprecedented. Stability and peace in the Taiwan Strait are at their highest levels in 66 years, he said.
The president furthermore stated that cross-strait reconciliation has also brought peace to the East China Sea and the South China Sea. As for the former, Taiwan and Japan in April 2013 signed a fisheries agreement that peacefully resolved a 40-year fishing dispute between the two. In addition, in May of last year personnel on a Philippine Coast Guard vessel fired on a Taiwanese fishing boat, killing a fisherman and damaging the boat. Subsequently, the ROC and Philippine governments reached a consensus, agreeing to refrain from using force in law enforcement actions, to notify each other prior to such actions, and promptly release detained fishing vessels and crews in case of arrest, he said, adding that this has effectively reduced bilateral disputes.
【Source: Office of the President】