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MAC ISSUES POSITION PAPER ON `ONE SIDE, ONE COUNTRY' (II)

Aug 07, 2002 19:48 UTC+0800

The MAC said that when Chen assumed office in 2000, he promised "five noes" with regard to mainland China -- no declaration of Taiwan independence as long as mainland China does not use force against Taiwan, no change of the official name of the nation, no introduction of "state-to-state relations" to the Constitution, no referendum on the future of the nation and no abrogation of National Unification Guidelines.

The position paper notes that since Chen's inauguration, the government's cross-strait policy has been consistent and adds that the administration offered many goodwill overtures to Beijing, including the direct links between two Taiwan-controlled islands and the mainland, expanded functions and scope of the offshore transshipment center, opening Taiwan to tourism for mainland people, replacing the "go slow, be patient" policy toward investment in the mainland with "active opening, effective management."

Taiwan has also allowed financial institutions to set up representative offices in the mainland, allowed more mainland products into Taiwan, allowed mainland journalists to be stationed in Taiwan and stepped up care for the mainland spouses of local people, it says.

It stresses that although Chen's efforts to improve cross-strait relations have never ceased, regrettably, Taiwan has yet to receive substantial reciprocal response from the mainland.

The mainland has continued to squeeze Taiwan diplomatically, especially with its dollar diplomacy to woo the Pacific island state of Nauru to its fold with the offer of US$130 million. In addition, Beijing has never renounced the use of force against Taiwan and has stepped up its military deployments, the paper says.

While the mainland is undermining the national interest of the Republic of China with its unfriendly gestures, it has continued to ask Taiwan to accept its "one country, two system" formula, intending to make Taiwan a special administrative area under Beijing's rule.

Beijing has also promoted these "unreasonable demands" among the international community, hoping to lead the world to believe its rhetoric and even to persuade the ROC government and its people to accept it.

The paper says that "when Taiwan feels that the possibility of its national security being undermined increases and when the mainland refuses to communicate with Taiwan, the risks of misunderstandings between the two sides also increase." The president believes that he needs to clearly state the background of the "five noes," it continues.

"The president hopes that mainland China will learn that Taiwan will not compromise with the mainland when its security is under serious threat," it says.

(By Lilian Wu)