Beijing urged to face reality of Republic of China's existence
ROC Central News Agency
2012/11/23 13:45:33
Taipei, Nov. 22 (CNA) Taiwan has urged China to face the reality of the Republic of China's existence and avoid taking inappropriate action that could provoke unnecessary disputes.
The Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) made the call in a statement issued late Thursday over Beijing's inclusion of pictures of two Taiwanese scenic spots in new People's Republic of China passports.
The MAC statement asserted the ROC's sovereign status, pointing out that according to the ROC Constitution and the Act Governing Relations Between Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, the ROC now consists of two areas -- Taiwan and the Chinese mainland.
The Beijing government should pragmatically face "the reality of the ROC's existence and our established foundation," the MAC statement said.
"We should put aside disputes, face the reality and work together for peaceful and stable development of relations across the Taiwan Strait," the MAC statement added.
The MAC, Taiwan's top agency in charge of affairs relating to China, also said it has expressed the ROC government's stance on the issue through the appropriate channels.
China's new passports show a map that includes its claim to almost all of the islands in the South China Sea over which there are territorial disputes, a move that has already provoked protests from the Philippines and Vietnam, both of which, along with Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei, also lay claim to the islands.
The new Chinese passports also carry pictures of various popular scenic spots in China such as Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall -- but they also include two famous tourist destinations in Taiwan -- Sun Moon Lake and the Chingshui Cliffs on the Suhua Highway on Taiwan's east coast.
(By Scarlett Chai and Sofia Wu)
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