TAIPEI -- Participants of a cross-Strait forum on Saturday stressed the importance of the "1992 Consensus" in improving ties between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.
In November 1992, the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) reached a consensus in which each of the two organizations acknowledges that "both sides of the Taiwan Strait adhere to the one-China principle." The agreement has since served as a significant basis for cross-Strait negotiations and peaceful development.
The result of the latest Taiwan leadership election has shown that the majority of the people in Taiwan have come to acknowledge the importance of the "1992 Consensus", said Wu Jung-yuan, chairman of Taiwan's Labor Party and organizer of the forum.
During the latest leadership election, incumbent Taiwan leader and ruling Kuomintang chairman Ma Ying-jeou comfortably secured a second term in office after defeated the major opposition Democratic Progressive Party Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen and minority People First Party Chairman James Soong in a three-way race.
Wu Jung-yuan believed the consensus, which was supported by Ma, would help strengthen ties between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.
The consolidation of the "1992 Consensus" and the expansion of cross-Strait cooperation would not only help Taiwan to better cope with the challenges brought about by global financial uncertainty, but also help shelve differences within Taiwan, according to Wu.
Chang Ling-chen, honorary professor of political science with the Taiwan University and lawyer Hsu Wen-bin believed failure in the latest election has prompted the DPP to review their policies towards the mainland.
Given the current development momentum of cross-Strait relations and international situation, the practice to encourage the public to oppose the one-China principle would lose support, according to them.
