•Publication Date：12/27/2012
•Source： Taiwan Today
ROC President Ma Ying-jeou reiterated Dec. 26 that Taiwan and mainland China have “special relations” involving mutual nonrecognition of each other’s sovereignty and nondenial of their respective jurisdictions, rather than a state-to-state relationship.
The sovereign independence of the ROC is an unchanging fact under the ROC Constitution, Ma said, adding that its territory includes mainland China, while at present its jurisdiction encompasses only Taiwan and the outlying archipelagoes of Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu. The singular nature of cross-strait ties is based on the Constitution and has been unchanged through the terms of three presidents, he stressed.
The government will continue promoting the development of peaceful cross-strait ties under the framework of the Constitution; the policy of no unification, no independence and no use of force; and the 1992 consensus, Ma said. Efforts will be made to expand and deepen relations, establish reciprocal representative offices and thoroughly review the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, he added.
The 1992 consensus is an informal, oral understanding between Taipei and Beijing that there exists only one China, with both sides agreeing to differ on its precise political definition.
Ma made the remarks at a promotion ceremony for high-ranking military officials at the Armed Forces Officers’ Club in Taipei City.
The government is pursuing national security, the key to the ROC’s continued existence, through three lines of defense, the president noted. Institutionalized negotiations with mainland China based on the principle of putting Taiwan first for the benefit of the people have led to the signing of 18 agreements and two consensuses over the last four years, he pointed out.
At the same time, viable diplomacy has expanded Taiwan’s international space and increased its contributions to the world community as a peacemaker in the Taiwan Strait and East Asia, as well as a provider of humanitarian aid, the president said. Global recognition of these efforts can be seen in the fact that 131 countries and regions now grant ROC citizens visa-free entry or landing visas.
The nation’s ability to deter aggression has also grown, with U.S. arms sales worth US$18.3 billion, the highest amount in 10 years, Ma said. A more streamlined and elite fighting force will be created when military service becomes entirely voluntary in 2014, he noted, adding that reorganization will upgrade the quality, efficiency, morale and fighting capabilities of the armed forces.
