Chinese leader offers talks with DPP on equal basis

This article was published by the Taiwan Headlines on April 17, 2006. It reports that China's President Hu Jintao recently offered talks with Taiwan's government on an equal basis, under the condition that Taiwan accepts the "one China" principle.

"We must start political negotiations on an equal basis as soon as possible. We can only resolve historical problems through negotiations," Hu said in a meeting in Beijing with 400 Taiwanese political and industrial representatives. The meeting was the biggest trade summit between Taiwan and China. Taiwan's political representatives were led by Lien Chan, former leader of the opposition Kuomingtang (KMT).

The meeting took place just before Hu leaves for the United States, where he is scheduled to meet U.S. President George W. Bush.

According to Hu, the 1992 consensus could be a cornerstone on which Taiwan and China may conduct reciprocal and equal negotiations in order to benefit the people on both sides. in 1992, negotiators from Taiwan and China met in Hong Kong and reportedly agreed that each side could have its own interpretation of the "one China" principle.

However, during the aforementioned meeting in Beijing between Hu and Lien, neither of them clarified what the 1992 consensus really meant. They only stressed on how significant the consensus was and how it was understood by the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party.

According to Lien, the KMT's policy of "one China, different interpretations" allows no compromise. The Chinese Communist Party also seems to have a pretty good idea about what the 1992 consensus means. As a result, it is the governing Democratic Progressive Party and President Chen Shui-bian who should clarify the party's stand on the 1992 consensus.

In related news, the Mainland Affairs Council recently accused China of trying to dupe Taiwan's people and the international community with its "one China" principle under the disguise of the 1992 consensus. The council also blamed Lien for failing to ask Hu to specify whether the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party define the consensus in the same manner.