Taiwan and mainland China share a joint obligation to maintaining regional peace and stability, the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council said March 5.
According to the MAC, Taiwan’s efforts in seeking avenues for positive interactions have been widely recognized by the international community. The council reiterated the government’s commitment to promoting benign cross-strait ties.
Beijing should adopt a forward-looking approach to cross-strait relations, embrace new and positive modes of thinking and pursue pragmatic communication with Taiwan, the MAC said, adding that Beijing should not shirk its responsibilities on political pretexts.
The MAC’s remarks came in response to mainland China’s cross-strait development policies outlined during the opening session of the annual National People’s Congress March 5 in Beijing.
Taiwan will continue to closely monitor such meetings and stay apprised of any efforts by Beijing that may undermine the positive development of cross-strait relations, the council said.
The future of cross-strait relations will be determined by the people of Taiwan via democratic mechanisms so as to safeguard national dignity, the MAC said.
Cross-strait interactions should be based on the goals of fostering mutual benefits, promoting prosperity and safeguarding the well-being of the people on both sides, the council said. If exchanges are based on hidden political agendas and geared toward unilateral economic gains, or designed to undermine positive cross-strait development, they will simply engender mistrust and the enmity of the Taiwan people, the MAC added. (KWS-E)
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