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Institutionalized cross-strait talks have majority support: MAC

ROC Central News Agency

2011/10/24 12:42:18

Taipei, Oct. 24 (CNA) A series of opinion polls have consistently shown strong public backing for institutionalized talks between Taiwan and China, the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Monday in a statement.

The statement came after the two sides of the Taiwan Strait signed a nuclear safety cooperation agreement last week at their seventh high-level meeting since 2008. The pact was the 16th bilateral accord sealed over the past three-plus years.

The MAC statement was also seen as a reassurance of the government's commitment to the continued promotion of cross-strait dialogue and consultations on a dignified and equal footing, amid a recent controversy over the possibility that a peace deal may be struck if President Ma Ying-jeou is re-elected next January.

Citing the results of a string of public opinion surveys, the MAC said nearly 80 percent of local people are satisfied with the results of institutionalized cross-strait talks in recent years.

For example, the statement said, 78.8 percent gave a thumbs-up to the agreement on cross-strait cooperation on crime-fighting and judicial assistance; 71.8 percent voiced satisfaction with a cross-strait aviation accord that has paved the way for direct flight services; 61.1 percent approved of the Cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement on tariff concessions for merchandise trade and easier market access for service providers; and 73.1 percent supported the agreement on intellectual property rights protection.

The opinion polls also repeatedly indicate that up to 80 percent support continuation of the institutionalized cross-strait dialogue mechanism to resolve any issues that may arise from bilateral engagements, the MAC said.

Moreover, it added, nearly 60 percent believe that agreements signed under the current mechanism are conducive to Taiwan 's overall development.

All the accords signed since President Ma assumed office in May 2008 have to do with protection of people's rights and interests and maintenance of orderly cross-strait exchanges, the MAC said.

The government has invariably upheld the principles of "Taiwan first and beneficial to the people" in its engagements with China and has kept the process of consultations open and transparent, it said .

"We will continue to abide by these principles and fully respect majority public opinion in our engagements with mainland China in order to forge greater domestic consensus to lay a solid foundation for peaceful development of cross-strait ties," the MAC said. (By Charles Kang and Sofia Wu) enditem /pc