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No independence, no military: CPC-PFP Communique
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-05-12 22:36 The Communist Party of China (CPC )
and Taiwan's People First Party (PFP) agreed Thursday that if Taiwan does not seek
independence, there will be no military conflicts across the Taiwan Straits, and
that both shall work for the promotion of cross-Straits economic exchanges and
trade.
"Military conflicts shall be effectively avoided so long as there is no
possibility that Taiwan moves toward 'Taiwan independence'", according to a
communique issued after the summit between Hu Jintao and James CY Soong, the
first ever in the history of the two parties.
The new gesture, along with other consensus reached by the two parties, has
been an further show of goodwill by the mainland side toward the Taiwan people
and reflects common aspirations by people in both the mainland and Taiwan for
peace, stability and development of cross-Straits relations, Soong said after
the talks.
The new developments have been built on fruitful talks between Hu, general
secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman Lien Chan of the Kuomintang
(KMT) Party of China two weeks ago. The CPC and KMT have agreed upon five issues
including the promotion of formal end to hostility, building military mutual
trust mechanism, allowing Taiwan to participate in activities of the World
Health Organization, some of which were reaffirmed in today's communique.
The CPC-PFP document says that the Taiwan authorities are expected to
earnestly honor the promise of "five no's" and live up to the commitment of not
seeking "de jure Taiwan independence" through "constitutional" changes.
The proposal for "Taiwan independence" has hurt the feelings of people on
both sides of the Taiwan Straits, disrupted the development of normal
cooperative and mutually beneficial relations across the Straits, and severely
sabotaged security and stability across the Straits and in the Asia-Pacific
region at large, says the communique.
The two parties also voiced their "firm opposition" to any activities for the
"rectification of Taiwan's name" and " constitutional changes through
referendum."
According to the communique, the two parties will join hands to promote the
establishment of a framework for peace across the Straits and the formal ending
of the state of hostility through consultations and negotiations in a bid to
reach a peace accord.
The communique urges the two sides across the Straits to resume peace talks
as soon as possible and take concrete measures to solve crucial issues of mutual
concerns on the basis of mutual respect and seeking common grounds while
reserving differences.
The "1992 Consensus" should be respected and cross-Straits peace talks should
be conducted on the basis of the Consensus, which highlights the one-China
principle and shelves discrepancies concerning specific political connotations
of the "one China", it says.
The two parties also reach a wide range of consensus on promoting overall
economic and trade exchanges across the Taiwan Straits on the basis of mutual
benefit and win-win cooperation.
-- The CPC and PFP will promote the realization of two-way direct flights
across the Taiwan Straits by 2006.
-- They called for closer agricultural cooperation across the Taiwan Straits
and increasing sales of Taiwan farm produce in the mainland.
-- The mainland will exempt customs duties on some of Taiwan's farm products
including fruits to help Taiwan ease sales pressure during harvesting season.
-- Both sides across the Straits should facilitate customs clearing of farm
products and their direct transportation.
-- Both agreed to promote the two-way direct investment by enterprises across
the Straits, and promote "specific cooperation" in banking, insurance,
securities, transportation and medical sectors.
-- The two parties will promote cross-Straits negotiations on how to avoid
double taxation on business people, says the communique.
-- Cross-Straits people-to-people exchanges should be expanded and procedures
on the mainland side should be further simplified for Taiwanese compatriots
coming to and leaving the mainland.
-- The mainland side should encourage and promote the employment of Taiwan
compatriots on the mainland.
After the talks, James Soong promised that the PFP will work closely with the
KMT to make their consensus, which are in the interests of Taiwan people, to be
taken into serious consideration by the Taiwan authorities, headed by Chen
Shui-bian.
"The PFP will not hesitate in working together with the KMT to supervise the
authorities and to defend the fundamental interests of the Taiwanese," he
said.
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