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No consensus on China and Taiwan's '1992 consensus'

ROC Central News Agency

Taipei, Nov. 14 (CNA) The second day of a Taiwan seminar Saturday saw hot debate among Taiwanese and Chinese scholars on two issues - the "one China" principle and the "1992 consensus" - which could play central roles in Taiwan and China's attempts to resolve the issue of the island's status.

Over 100 scholars from Taiwan and China at the two-day seminar hosted by the Pacific Cultural Foundation focused their discussions on the political, economic and cultural developments on both sides of the Taiwan Strait over the past 60 years since 1949, when the Republic of China government retreated to Taiwan after losing a civil war to the communists.

The seminar marks the first time that political issues were openly discussed between the two sides since President Ma Ying-jeou's government came into power in May 2008.

Such issues have remained off the table in cross-strait talks in which negotiators from both sides have reached nine agreements aimed at strengthening trade and economic exchanges.

At the seminar, Taiwan's Tamkang University Professor Chen Yi-hsin said that it would be impossible for the current cross-strait rapprochement to go much further if China continues to insist on the "one China" principle.

Under the "one China" principle, Beijing defines Taiwan as a part of China.

He suggested that both sides instead focus on the "1992 consensus" while minimizing the significance of the "one China" principle in future negotiations between Taiwan and China.

The "1992 consensus" refers to an agreement reached by negotiators of Taiwan and China in 1992 in which they agreed to the notion of "one China, two interpretations," with each side having their own interpretation of what that China is.

National Kinmen Institute of Technology Professor Kao Hui said that China has missed its "window of opportunity" to discuss unification with Taiwan, because Taiwan's National Unifications Guidelines and National Unification Council " ceased to apply" or "ceased to function" due to actions taken by former President Chen Shui-bian in 2006. Unification for the Kuomintang (KMT) -led government now "could not be a goal but a choice" , he said.

Chinese Culture University Professor Yang Tai-shun said that under the current political climate, the "one China" framework could not win the support of Taiwan's public.

Yu Keli, director of the Taiwan Research Institute under the China Academy of Social Science (CASS) in Beijing, said that the "one China" principle was a guideline jointly ironed out by the KMT and the Communist Party of China to prevent the separation of Taiwan from "its homeland", and he was somehow surprised that "some KMT friends until now expressed different opinions about that." He said that Beijing does not agree to the idea that the "1992 consensus" is tantamount to the "one China" principle, although the "1992 consensus" will remain the basis of future cross-strait talks for quite a long period of time.

Professor Huang Jiashu of People's University of China in Beijing said future cross-strait talks would become impossible if the KMT gets rid of the "1992 consensus" and the "one China" principle.

He said it would be unreasonable for Taiwan to ask China to either abandon the "one China" principle or play down its significance.

On the calls for Beijing to recognize the existence of the Republic of China, Yu said anything, including the national flag, anthem and status of the Republic of China are negotiable in cross-strait talks, but it would be unrealistic for Taipei to make such a request before that kind of talks can be held.

( By Chang Ming-kun & Bear Lee) Enditem/cs