Taipei, June 27 (CNA) Republic of China President Chen Shui-bian said on Tuesday for the first time that his government is willing to accept a 1992 consensus reached with Beijing on "one China, respective interpretations."
Accepting the previous consensus that each side of the Taiwan Strait can adhere to its own interpretations of the meaning of "one China," he chided mainland China for its current insistence on its cherished "one China" principle, which downgrades the Republic of China to a local-level government under the People's Republic of China--something that is unacceptable to the people of Taiwan.
Receiving US-based Asia Foundation Chairman William Fuller at the Presidential Office, Chen also said that Taiwan hopes to resume negotiations with mainland China soon and to "seek common ground while preserving our differences."
Chen said that Beijing's insistence on its own interpretation of "one China" is the reason that negotiations cannot be resumed at present, a situation which he described as "regrettable." He added that negotiations can also help both sides to discover a mutually acceptable interpretation of "one China."
Chen reiterated what he said in his first post-inauguration press conference on June 20 --that he is willing to sit down anywhere and shake hands with mainland Chinese President Jiang Zemin and discuss any topic without any predetermined stance.
The foremost job of the new government is to improve cross-strait relations and ensure eternal peace in the Taiwan Strait, he added.
He noted that Taiwan is a democratic, pluralistic society where different opinions abound. However, he cited an 80 percent public approval rate for his May 20 inauguration speech and his June 20 press conference as proof that his thinking in regard to cross-strait affairs follows mainstream opinion and consensus in Taiwan.