Beijing urged Taipei Wednesday to respond positively to the
mainland's growing flexibility and pragmatism regarding
cross-Straits relations and to return to political negotiations as
soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Beijing assured the island that the mainland's policy
towards Taiwan will not change under the new leadership headed by
Hu Jintao, the newly elected secretary-general of the Communist
Party of China (CPC).
Zhang Mingqing, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the
State Council, said at a press conference that Beijing's sincere
goodwill gestures towards Taiwan were well represented by President
Jiang Zemin's exposition on the Taiwan question in his speech to
the just-concluded 16th
Party congress.
During his report to the Party congress between November 8-14,
Jiang, former party general secretary, said Taiwan and the mainland
can "shelve for now certain political disputes'' in order to
discuss the topics of most concern to the Taiwan side.
The three major topics include the official end of the state of
hostility between the two sides, international space for the island
and the political status of the Taiwan authorities, according to
Jiang.
Zhang said the fresh overture greatly demonstrates the mainland's
utmost sincerity and tolerance in developing cross-Straits
ties.
"We hope the Taiwan authorities will treat the matter seriously
this time and restart cross-Straits dialogue and negotiations at an
early date on the basis of the 1992 consensus,'' the spokesman
said.
In
November 1992, an informal oral agreement was reached between
Beijing's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits
(ARATS) and its Taipei counterpart Straits Exchange Foundation
(SEF) that says both sides of the Straits adhere to the one-China
principle.
The consensus highlighted cross-Straits negotiations through
semi-official bodies launched in the early 1990s due to the absence
of official links.
But talks between ARATS and SEF were broken off after former Taiwan
leader Lee Teng-hui introduced the "two states'' theory in July
1999, which defines the ties between both sides of the Taiwan
Straits as a state-to-state relationship.
A
stalemate in the relations has ensued as Taiwan leader Chen
Shui-bian, from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party
(DPP), has refused to accept Beijing's one-China principle that
Taiwan is part of China. Chen has also denied the existence of the
1992 consensus.
Zhang, however, said Jiang's concrete and feasible proposal for
future cross-Straits talks may create enough manoeuvering room for
both sides to break the current political stalemate.
The proposal, which will "point out a clear road to resumption of
cross-Straits negotiations and bring brighter prospects for a
peaceful national reunification,'' is worth Taipei's earnest
response, he added.
The spokesman also said the mainland's Taiwan policy has remained
and will remain consistent and coherent following the conclusion of
the 16th Party congress.
"This means we will continue to implement the policies of peaceful
reunification, `one country, two systems' and Jiang's eight-point
proposals on developing relations,'' he said.
Zhang stressed the one-China principle is the basis and
precondition for any future political talks.
But in addressing some practical matters, such as the establishment
of the three direct links and some economic affairs, the two sides
do not have to touch upon the political meaning of one China, the
spokesman said.
As
for the proposed direct cross-Straits charter flights from Shanghai
to Taipei during the upcoming Spring Festival holidays, the
spokesman suggested that the mainland may approve Taipei's model
for indirect charter flights.
Taiwan has said the charter flights must stop in Hong Kong or Macao
before continuing their journey, thereby maintaining the routes'
status as "indirect.''
The mainland has held out for a proper direct charter flight with
no stopover at a third place.
"Despite our dissatisfaction (with the Taipei model), we are
willing to offer active cooperation to push for the implementation
of the plan,'' Zhang said.
"If the Taiwan side is sincere, doesn't create trouble, doesn't do
anything contrary to the mainland's benefit, I will be happy to see
the matter of Spring Festival charter flights resolved.''
(China Daily November 28, 2002)