The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council on Wednesday said
2007 is a crucial period for opposing "Taiwan independence" and
safeguarding peace across the Taiwan Straits.
Spokesman Yang Yi said at a press conference that cross-Straits
relations would face severe challenges this year, as Taiwan
authorities tried to seek "de jure independence" through the
so-called "constitutional reform" which might enter into a
"substantive" stage.
He said that resolutely curbing the "Taiwan independence"
secessionist activities and safeguarding peace across the Taiwan
Straits were still the most important and urgent tasks for
compatriots across the Taiwan Straits.
"We will make the utmost efforts to seek peaceful reunification
with maximum sincerity. We cannot tolerate 'Taiwan independence'
and will not allow Taiwan to secede from China by any means," Yang
said.
"We will continue to adhere to the basic principles of 'peaceful
reunification' and 'one country, two systems', as well as the
eight-point proposal by Jiang Zemin on the settlement of the Taiwan
issue and the four-point guidelines on cross-Straits relations set
forth by President Hu Jintao, widely unite Taiwan compatriots and
build peaceful and stable cross-Straits relations in 2007," he
said.
"We hope mainland tourists can travel to Taiwan as early as
possible and new breakthroughs can be made in the 'three direct
links' of direct mail, transport and trade across the Taiwan
Straits this year," he said.
The mainland would continue to seek communication and dialogue
with parties and organizations in Taiwan that opposed "Taiwan
independence", acknowledged the "1992 Consensus" and advocated
promotion of cross-Straits relations, he said.
"As long as the Taiwan authorities acknowledge the '1992
Consensus' which enshrined the one-China principle, the
cross-Straits dialogue and negotiation can be restored. Dialogue
and negotiations can touch on any topic. We have full confidence in
the prospects for developing cross-Straits relations," said
Yang.
Yang said cross-Straits relations developed in the direction of
peace and stability in 2006 thanks to the common efforts of
compatriots on both sides of the straits.
Compatriots across the Taiwan Straits had a deeper understanding
of the threats of "Taiwan independence" secessionist activities in
2006. They strongly opposed and condemned the behavior of the
"Taiwan independence" secessionist forces, which strained
cross-Straits relations.
The compatriots across the Taiwan Straits also had deeper
understanding of the bright prospects of the cross-Straits
relations in 2006. They deepened mutual understanding and had more
common interests, said Yang.
Cross-Straits personnel exchanges, economic and cultural
communication and cooperation developed well in 2006, he said.
The indirect trade volume between the mainland and Taiwan hit a
record US$100 billion in 2006
Taiwan residents made more than 4.4 million visits to the
mainland and the figures for mainland visits to Taiwan was more
than 200,000 in 2006.
(Xinhua News Agency January 17, 2007)