Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian yesterday rejected a call from the
Kuomintang Party (KMT) for a resumption of talks with the mainland
based on the "1992 consensus" on the one-China principle.
During his two-hour meeting with KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou in
Taipei, Chen did little to conceal his determination to pursue
independence for the island.
"It would be problematic to regard this (the "1992 consensus"),
which does not exist at all, as the basis of talks," Chen said,
adding that he would do nothing to compromise Taiwan's
"sovereignty."
"There should not be the one-China principle."
The "1992 consensus" refers to an informal agreement, reached
orally between Taiwan and the mainland that both sides should
adhere to the one-China principle.
But Chen and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have denied
the existence of the consensus ever since he took power in May
2000.
The meeting between Chen and Ma, broadcast live on local news
channels, was their first since Ma became KMT chairman last
year.
But their lengthy discussion brought about little agreement
between the two on a wide range of issues, including cross-Straits
ties, arms purchases and "constitutional" change.
During the meeting, Ma expressed his hope that Taiwan be a
peacemaker rather than a troublemaker in the Asia-Pacific
region.
He said there should be reconciliation and cooperation across
the Taiwan Straits.
Chen, however, rejected Ma's idea of signing a peace treaty that
would ensure peace in the Taiwan Straits for 30 to 50 years.
He also reiterated his determination to forge ahead with the
"constitutional re-engineering" project to write a new
"constitution" for the island in 2006 and enact it in 2008.
Ma, seen by many as a "presidential" front-runner in 2008,
questioned Chen's wisdom for scrapping the island's "national
unification council" and its guidelines on eventual reunification
with the mainland.
Beijing has described Chen's move as a dangerous step toward
"Taiwan independence."
Ma had requested the meeting with Chen after returning from a
high-profile trip to the US last month.
In an unusually warm reception, he met with US Deputy Secretary
of State Robert Zoellick, the highest level contact between Taiwan
and the US in years.
The US was reportedly angered by Chen's decision last month to
disband the council, a move interpreted by Washington as an
unnecessary provocation against Beijing.
(China Daily April 4, 2006)