Party talks push unification course
( 2001-07-27 12:06 ) (1 )

Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen's seven-point explanation of the "one country, two systems" scheme for Taiwan is crucial to the settlement of the Taiwan question, said an article in Beijing-based newspaper Global Times.

On July 12, Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen met members of the pro-unification New Party (NP) from Taiwan.

Qian put forward seven thoughts for implementing the "one country, two systems" scheme for Taiwan's reunification with the motherland.

The proposals guarantee that, after reunification:

Taiwan can continue to use its own currency.

It can keep its troops.

It will constitute a separate tariff region.

It can retain its government apparatus.

Not one cent will be taken from Taiwan and its capital will not be drawn on.

Taiwanese people and businesses can hold on to their property.

Taiwan will have autonomy in installing officials, and none will be dispatched from the mainland.

First, the mainland will keep its hands off Taiwan's finance and monetary policies, and the island will continue to issue its own currency.

Second, Taiwan will still have autonomy in its defence, and the mainland will not send troops to the island. By contrast, the governments of Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions do not enjoy such rights. Taiwan will enjoy more autonomy.

Third, Taiwan will remain a separate tariff region after reunification. Its status and functions in international organizations such as the World Trade Organization will not be affected.

Fourth, the mainland will not interfere in Taiwan's political system unless it violates the one-China principle. Elections at all levels on the island will be held as usual.

The final point proves the rumour that the mainland will send senior officials over for a take-over is false.

Qian's seven-point proposal has received acclaim from both sides.

The article said as long as Taiwan acknowledges that both sides of the Straits belong to one China, the mainland is very open to allowing "two systems." It will grant Taiwan degree of autonomy that no other district within the country enjoys.

This proposal marked the first time concrete measures for implementing the "one country, two systems" in Taiwan have been laid out by such a high-ranking official, the article said.

The article noted that the NP's visit to the mainland has set an example for a "Party-to-Party" dialogue across the Straits. Their talks spanned from the meaning of the one-China concept to the methods of peaceful reunification and ways of further strengthening cross-Straits exchanges.

The proposal, if enacted, would be a good and workable experiment, the article said.

The piece praised the NP for its contribution to reunification. The NP is one of the main political parties in Taiwan. In August 1989, Chao Shaokang, Li Sheng-feng and other new members of the Kuomintang declared the establishment of a new organization dissatisfied by Lee Teng-hui's pro-independence activities.

By August 1993, the New Party formed and registered as a political party. It immediately called itself "a voice for the ordinary people."

It noted as a key goal "national unification, political democracy and an affluent life for the people."

The NP has frequently sent delegations to the mainland and mainland delegations have met NP officials in Taiwan many times.

Previously, when the mainland institution in charge of Taiwan affairs invited Taiwan political organizations to come for a visit, it was done in the name of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. But this time, the NP Delegation was invited to come for visit in the name of the Taiwan Work Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Therefore, before the NP Delegation arrived in Beijing, the media had focused their attention on the meeting, calling it the first cross-Straits "Party-to-Party" meeting.

The article said that in a friendly meeting between the New Party Delegation and the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee, the two sides reached a consensus.

The two sides commonly recognized and advocate "one China, peaceful reunification" in order to seek improvement of cross-Straits relations. Both will push the resumption of cross-Straits contacts and dialogues on the basis of the 1992 Consensus and promote cross-Straits economic and personal connections.

They also hope to realize three direct links, by mail, trade and transportation, the article said.

The NP indicated that its "Mainland Affairs Council" will establish a special agency to keep mutual contacts with related bodies of the mainland's Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee.

The Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee has indicated that the CPC wishes to conduct dialogues with the New Party and is, of course, willing to conduct dialogues with the Kuomintang, the People First Party and the island's other political parties which recognize the "one-China" principle.

Because the island's Democratic Progress Party (DPP) has not abandoned its idiotic "Taiwan independence" theory and the DPP authorities have so far not acknowledged the 1992 Consensus, it is impossible for the CPC to conduct talks with such an extremist faction.

If Taiwan authorities refuse to accept the one-China principle, it is neither possible to resume consultation between the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) of Taiwan. It also won't be possible for the CPC to conduct Party-to-Party contacts with the DPP.

It is reported that after the "Party-to-Party dialogue mechanism" was established between the NP and the mainland, Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian worried that other opposition parties would follow the NP's example. Chen fears being isolated, so he has tried his utmost to vilify the New Party.

On July 12, while attending the "three services joint graduation ceremony," Chen declared that exchanges between political parties across the Taiwan Straits is "political united front work," clamoring that "political united front work and armed invasion are the common enemies of the entire people."

Tsai Ying-wen, chairman of the "Mainland Affairs Council of the Administrative Yuan", also proved to be a hypocrite. On the one hand she claimed the authorities "don't oppose the exchanges of opinions between political parties," but then said, "There will be differences even between opinions of the ruling party about government policies but the various parties should understand the roles they play."

Her remarks imply that the NP is not a political party in power, so there is greater difference between its policies and those of the authorities, and it is unqualified to conduct the Party-to-Party talks.

Yet most of the Taiwanese media praised the NP's visit. The United Daily of Taiwan pointed out that "Party-to-Party consultations will be the channel for future links between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits."

If the DPP authorities cling to their obstinate stand, they will be bogged in quagmire and will lose public support.