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Taiwan urges Beijing to 'take pragmatic approach to ROC Constitution'

ROC Central News Agency

2016/03/03 22:48:13

Taipei, March 3 (CNA) Taiwan urged China to look at the Constitution of the Republic of China in a practical manner, noting that the government's China policy has always been made based on the 'one China (ROC), two areas' principle

Yang Chia-chun (楊家駿), chief secretary of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), made the statement in response to a high-level policy report by Beijing stating that it will insist on continuing to promote the peaceful development of cross-Taiwan Strait relations based on the political foundation of the '1992 consensus' and opposition to Taiwan independence.

The 1992 consensus refers to a tacit agreement between Taipei and Beijing that there is only one China, with both sides free to interpret what 'one China' means. For Taiwan, that 'one China' is the Republic of China that was formed in 1912, the first democratic republic in Asia, but was relocated to Taiwan in 1949.

The two areas Yang mentioned were 'the Taiwan Area' and the 'Mainland Area' as stipulated in the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area.

The issue of the ROC's Constitution became a hot topic after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Feb. 25 mentioned 'their Constitution' in the United States when discussing how Beijing is expected to deal with a Democratic Progressive Party administration in Taiwan that will be sworn in on May 20.

Many analysts here said by publicly talking about Taiwan's Constitution, Beijing might be showing greater flexibility in dealing with Taiwan, probably to the extent of recognizing the legitimacy of the ROC government.

The Chinese government has since played down Wang's remarks and in a major policy report issued by the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Thursday, Beijing reiterated the importance of the '1992 consensus' and its opposition to Taiwan independence.

(By Chen Chia-lun and S.C. Chang)
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