March 14 marks the fourth anniversary of the enactment of the "Anti-Separation Law" by mainland China. Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi delivered the following statement:
With respect to the enactment of the "Anti-Separation Law" by mainland Chinese authorities in 2005, President Ma Ying-jeou has consistently maintained the following viewpoint: He is dedicated to defending the sovereignty of the Republic of China and maintaining Taiwan's dignity. He also believes that the "Anti-Separation Law" is unnecessary and unfeasible.
"Unnecessary" refers to the fact that an overwhelming majority of Taiwan's public presently supports maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and does not support Taiwan independence. Meanwhile, "unfeasible" refers to the fact that the peaceful development of cross-strait relations can only be achieved through a demonstration of goodwill by both sides. This is a two-way, equal and peaceful process that should neither be decided unilaterally by mainland authorities, nor handled via non-peaceful means.
Spokesman Wang said that over the past nine months since President Ma took office, the tense relations between the two sides have gradually eased. Dialogue and cooperation have been carried out on the foundation of the "1992 consensus," with mutual trust gradually increasing between the two sides. This has given rise to nascent hopes of peace and mutual prosperity in the Taiwan Strait, and has been widely applauded by the international community. It is evident that the atmosphere forming the backdrop to enactment of the "Anti-Separation Law" has undergone major changes. We believe that the mainland authorities should carefully consider the feelings of the Taiwan people and handle this law in an appropriate manner, he said.