Chen scraps 'unification council, guidelines'
(China Daily/Agencies)
Updated: 2006-02-28 05:41

Fact file of the Council

The "national unification council," established on October 7, 1990 by the then Kuomintang administration of Taiwan, is a government body tasked with setting the policy to promote unification with the Chinese mainland.

The "guidelines for national unification" were adopted by the "national unification council" at its third meeting on February 23, 1991, and by the Executive Yuan (Taiwan's "cabinet") on March 14, 1991.

The guidelines stipulate that "both the mainland and Taiwan areas are parts of Chinese territory. Helping to bring about national unification should be the common responsibility of all Chinese people."

The meaning of "one China" adopted by the "national unification council" on August 1, 1992 says that "both sides of the Taiwan Straits agree that there is only one China. However, the two sides of the Straits have different opinions as to the meaning of 'one China'."

The "national unification council" held 14 meetings from its founding to April 8, 1999. It has never met since Chen Shui-bian took office on May 20, 2000.