The story appears on

Page A2

January 17, 2019

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » Nation

US is sowing Taiwan Strait discord

A CHINESE mainland spokesman has cautioned personnel from the United States against sowing discord between both sides of the Taiwan Strait, calling it “irresponsible.”

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, was responding to reports of comments by a White House National Security Council spokesman that the US “rejects the threat or use of force to compel the people of Taiwan” and urges the mainland to stop its “coercion.”

Ma said some Americans are turning a blind eye to the words and actions of Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party authority. These undermine the political foundation of cross-Strait ties and aggravate hostility between Taiwan and the mainland. They are also repeatedly sending wrong messages, which will only undermine cross-Strait peace and stability.

The Taiwan question is China’s internal affair and concerns China’s core interests and the national bond of the Chinese people, Ma said.

While pledging utmost sincerity and the greatest efforts for the prospect of peaceful reunification, the mainland vows zero tolerance toward “Taiwan independence” and reserves the option of taking all necessary means, he said.

“The so-called ‘threat or use of force to compel the people of Taiwan,’ or ‘coercion,’ doesn’t exist,” he said.

Asked to comment on remarks by Taiwan’s authority that the island hoped to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, Ma said adhering to the one-China principle was the prerequisite for Taiwan to participate in any regional economic cooperation.

He also said that adhering to the one-China principle and pursuing national reunification are the essence of the 1992 Consensus.

Ma was commenting on the island’s leader Tsai Ing-wen’s denial of the 1992 Consensus, her wish for other people in Taiwan not to recognize the 1992 Consensus, and her claim that the 1992 Consensus was equal to the “one country, two systems” principle.

“The 1992 Consensus is the common political foundation for development of cross-Strait relations and it clearly defines the nature of the ties,” he said.

“The consensus reflects the adherence to the one-China principle by both sides in their efforts to seek national reunification.

“The ‘one country, two systems’ principle is an institutional arrangement after national reunification is achieved.

“By intentionally confusing the 1992 Consensus and the ‘one country, two systems’ principle, the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party is deliberately misleading the people of Taiwan.”

Ma noted that for some people and forces attempting to “turn back the wheel of history,” a sound cross-Strait relationship might bring difficulties.

Therefore they have denied the 1992 Consensus and distorted the “one country, two systems” principle. The move further exposed their separatist stance and their purpose of attempting to seek personal benefits by hyping hostility between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, he said.

Ma said he believed compatriots of both sides, especially those in Taiwan, would not be tricked.

The mainland also firmly opposes a decision by the Taiwan-based Industrial Technology Research Institute that bans its employees from using mobile phones and computers produced by mainland-based IT firm Huawei.

“We are strongly against such an action that undermines regular economic and trade activities across the Taiwan Strait for the sake of politics,” said Ma.

He added that it was “pandering to certain foreign forces.”

Last year, the trade volume between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan reached US$226.2 billion, a record high. This was an increase of 13.2 percent year on year.

Ma said the mainland was ready to share its development opportunities with compatriots from Taiwan first.




 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend