The Chinese mainland has indicated that consultations between the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) could resume if Taiwan authorities acknowledge the 1992 Consensus, which upholds the one-China principle.
Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, highlighted that the ongoing political stalemate across the Taiwan Strait is due to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities' steadfast commitment to the separatist position of \"Taiwan independence\" since 2016.
She accused the DPP authorities of distorting and rejecting the 1992 Consensus, thereby undermining the foundation for the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations and hindering consultation and exchanges between ARATS and SEF.
Zhu made these remarks in response to recent statements from Frank Wu, the new chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation.
Reflecting on history, Zhu noted that in 1945, following the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Taiwan was freed from Japanese colonial rule and returned to the motherland. However, after 1949, due to the continuation of China’s civil war and external interference, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait entered a prolonged state of political confrontation.
Despite these challenges, Zhu emphasized that Taiwan remains an inalienable part of China's territory—a fact that has never changed and cannot be altered. \"This is not only a historical fact and legal basis, but also the status quo,\" she affirmed.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
