ROC President Ma Ying-jeou said Oct. 18 that a cross-strait peace accord would institutionalize the status quo between Taiwan and mainland China, and would not involve negotiations on unification.
“Cross-strait peace is an issue that must be faced, and the purpose of a pact would be to ensure maintenance of the existing peaceful relations,” Ma said.
The president’s remarks came in a meeting at the Presidential Office with representatives to the ROC-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Conference: Security Dialogue, clarifying the possibility of a cross-strait peace accord that he floated Oct. 17 in a news conference outlining the final part of his 10-year plan for the country.
Ma reiterated that a peace agreement would only be considered when it has strong public support, meets the actual needs of the country and can be supervised by the Legislative Yuan.
“The institutionalization of cross-strait reconciliation, increased contributions to the international community, and viable self-defense and diplomacy make up the three pillars of Taiwan’s national security,” Ma said.
He pointed out that his administration has upheld the cross-strait status quo under the framework of the Constitution and the principle of no unification, no independence and no use of force.
Conference participants at the meeting included Japanese Member of the House of Councillors Yoichi Masuzoe and U.S. Reps. Peter Roskam and Tom Reed.
At a separate news conference, Mainland Affairs Council Minister Lai Shin-yuan said the president’s purpose with regard to cross-strait relations in his “golden decade” plan is to create sustainable peace between the two sides.
In addition to strong public consensus, the needs of the nation, legislative supervision and sufficient cross-strait trust, “the development of the situation at home and abroad, as well as support from the international community, will also be taken into account when considering a cross-strait peace pact,” Lai said.
She noted that the bilateral representative offices that the president mentioned as a possibility would not be established to deal with a peace agreement, but for the purpose of institutionalized negotiations on pragmatic issues over the long term. (THN)
Write to Grace Kuo at morningk@mail.gio.gov.tw