Taiwan Today (Tuesday, July 14, 2015) - An international symposium on Taiwan-mainland China relations wrapped up July 13 at Brookings Institution in Washington, bringing experts and scholars from Taiwan and the U.S. together to exchange views on recent developments in cross-strait affairs.
Organized by Taipei City-based Association of Foreign Relations and the U.S. think tank under the auspices of Mainland Affairs Council, the one-day event also focused on the trilateral relationships among Taipei, Washington and Beijing.
Those attending included MAC Minister Andrew Hsia; Raymond Burghardt, chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan; Richard Bush, director of the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at Brookings Institution; Bonnie Glaser, senior advisor for Asia at Center for Strategic and International Studies; and Alan Romberg, director of the East Asia program at Stimson Center.
During a keynote speech, Hsia said maintaining the status quo of no unification, no independence and no use of force under the ROC Constitution is the core of the government’s mainland China policy.
“The status quo of peace and stability, which received 75 percent support from the people of Taiwan, was not pulled out of thin air. It depends on the existence of several cornerstones.”
Among these, Hsia said, the 1992 consensus of one China with respective interpretations proposed by Taiwan is accepted by both sides and underlies the mutual trust vital to maintaining the stable status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
“The consensus has promoted cross-strait institutionalized negotiations on economic, trade and security issues to advance the interests and well-being of the people while upholding ROC sovereignty.”
Based on this consensus, the MAC and its mainland Chinese counterpart Taiwan Affairs Office began official contacts last year, an important milestone elevating cross-strait relations to their most peaceful and stable state in 66 years, he added.
According to Hsia, such achievements have positively affected Taiwan’s standing in the global community, giving it more latitude for international participation and earning the country plaudits from diplomatic allies and key partners.
“As we work to promote and maintain cross-strait peace and stability, we are also deepening the strategic relationship between Taiwan and the U.S., an approach consistent with the strategic interests of America in the Asia-Pacific region.”
Despite efforts to advance understanding, “fundamental and intractable political differences remain,” Hsia said, urging Beijing to put aside political objectives and continue institutionalized interactions and negotiations with Taipei on the basis of integrity and sincerity.
“We hope that mainland China will take Taiwan seriously, and respect its dignity and opinions of its people en route to further advancing cross-strait ties.” (SFC-JSM)
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