The February 11 meeting between Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Wang Yu-chi and his mainland Chinese counterpart Director Zhang Zhijun of the Taiwan Affairs Office marked a significant milestone in cross-strait exchanges, Premier Jiang Yi-huah said today after hearing the MAC's report to the Cabinet on details of the event.
"This meeting marked the first official talks to take place between top cross-strait officials from both sides since Taiwan and the mainland became separately governed entities 65 years ago, paving a new foundation for the development of long-term bilateral relation," said the premier.
Jiang added that the talks promoted peace not only in the Taiwan Strait but also around the world, with the United States, European Union and Japan welcoming the historic meeting. Commending Minister Wang and MAC staffers for their efforts, Premier Jiang requested the agency to continue promoting cross-strait interactions cautiously and to build wider public support by explaining developments to citizens and legislators in a timely manner.
Regarding yesterday's proposal by the ruling party legislative caucus to institute a four-stage mechanism for monitoring cross-strait negotiations, Premier Jiang said that the MAC fully supports the proposal and will put it into action. He urged other government agencies to follow the mechanism when negotiating cross-strait pacts in the future.
Jiang also asked agencies to consult with the MAC before negotiating any agreements with mainland China rather than after a consensus has been reached, so that Taiwan's negotiation team does not appear uncoordinated to the other side. He gave instructions that all cross-strait negotiations are to be handled in this manner to ensure that Taiwan's position remains consistent throughout the process and that the team can execute its strategies with flexibility and practicality.