In connection with the claim of the People First Party that President Chen Shui-bian during his February 24th meeting with Mr. James Soong, privately expressed his "Anti-Independence Stand" and "Acceptance of the results of the 1992 Hongkong talks" as condition for him to return to the cross-Strait talks, the Office of the President's Department of Public Affairs has made the following clarifications:
1. During that meeting, the President did not say that he was opposed to Taiwan independence. The President has always maintained clear positions. In his presidential inaugural speeches of 2000 and 2004, and in the agreement he reached with Mr. Soong, President Chen emphasized that as long as China abandons the use of force against Taiwan and in the context of peace across the Taiwan Strait, he will not declare independence during his term of office. Neither will he change the name of the country. Moreover, the 6th Item of the Chen-Soong Agreement states: Any change to the status quo of the Taiwan Strait must come with the consent of the twenty-three million people of Taiwan. On the basis of goodwill from both sides, we would not exclude any possibility to establish future relations between the two sides, in any form whatsoever.
In other words, the choices of possible cross-Strait relations, Taiwan's independence or unification with China all depend on the approval of Taiwan's people.
2. President Chen has repeatedly made clear that he hopes to promote cross-Strait dialogue and negotiations based on the results of the 1992 Hongkong talks. However, the communique from the meeting between PFP Chairman Soong and Mr. Hu Jintao adopted as its main position the "1992 Consensus" and "Two Sides, One China." The Office of the President has repeatedly emphasized that there is no "1992 Consensus" and the "Two Sides, One China" is more retrogressive than the so-called "One China, with each side's interpretation." This is tantamount to accepting the "One China Principle," provincializing Taiwan and transforming it into another Hongkong - not only the President, but also a majority of Taiwan's people cannot accept this.
The claim of PFP Legislator Fu Kun-chi that the President will visit China in August is sheer nonsense.