Taipei, Aug. 25 (CNA) The opposition People First Party (PFP) on Friday unveiled the theme of "respect for history, acknowledgment of reality and joint efforts for peace" as the guidelines of its mainland China policy.
On the eve of the departure of its legislative caucus for a trip to the mainland, the party also called on Beijing to pursue peace with Taiwan on the basis of a consensus reached in 1992.
Refusing to take sides in the long-standing argument between Taiwan's pro-reunification and pro-independence forces, PFP leader James Soong took pains to position his party as "pragmatic" in terms of its approach toward the mainland.
Soong pointed out in a statement issued by the PFP that the resolution of the disputes between Taiwan and mainland China lies in respect for the will of the people of Taiwan, awareness of the mainland's transformation and knowledge of the international political reality.
According to the statement, the PFP believes that both Taiwan and mainland China are parts of a reunited China, that the Republic of China is a sovereign state, and that both Taipei and Beijing are legitimate regimes which govern effectively within their own jurisdictions.
At a press conference called to announce the statement, Soong claimed that most of Taiwan's people emigrated from mainland China, and that the long history of living together has given rise to a sense of unique identity among them, no matter when they arrived on the island.
This unique "Taiwan sense" demands that "Taiwan's interests be given top priority," which is why the pro-reunification advocates cannot win the support of the majority, he continued.
On the other hand, Soong said he felt that the pro-independent forces on the island have ignored the transformation that the mainland is undergoing, in particular Beijing's forthcoming admission to the World Trade Organization and its full integration into the global economy.
Like it or not, he said, Taiwan will be exposed to the ramifications of Beijing's economic and political transformation, and should carefully assess its impact on the island before responding.
Noting that the international political situation will inevitably influence Taiwan's dealings with the mainland, Soong blamed the government for what he called its "wait and see" approach to Beijing. Instead, he went on, the government should stay abreast of the stances of the major powers on the issue of Taiwan and take advantage of any favorable circumstances to deal with Beijing.
The conflict between Taiwan and the mainland is neither ethnic nor nationalist in character, but rather one that stems from different political systems and thereby should be eliminated through economic cooperation, according to Soong.
He urged both sides of the Taiwan Strait to resume dialogue on the basis of the consensus reached during 1992, which he described as "one China de jure, and two administrations de facto."
The 1992 consensus led to the first official dialogue between the two sides in Singapore in 1993. (By Maubo Chang)
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