New Delhi
12 June 2007
Taiwan and mainland China needed to make construtive
compromise in the interest of peace, visiting Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou said.
"Mutual recognition is impossible ... so mutual non-denial [should be the way out.] All we
can do is [to arrive at a] mutually tolerable [formulation but it] does not have to be
mutually acceptable," Mr Ma on Tuesday said on the sidelines of his presentation on
"The Role of Taiwan's Economy in the Regional and International Environment" at the
Indian Council of World Affairs.
Mr Ma is the candidate of the Kuomintang (or National People's Party) for the March 2008
presidential election. He is a former chairman of the Kuomintang and a former minister of
justice.
Earlier, in his address, Mr Ma said that Beijing's position has changed from unification
to prevention of de jure independence for Taiwan. "Some room has been created
because of this situation and if I come to power, I will start a formal negotiation with
mainland China ... if formal proposal is made to mainland China, chances are pretty good
that at least it will consider to discuss," he said.
He went on to suggest that he would want to resume the interrupted negotiation with
mainland China under the 1992 Consensus. The 1992 Consensus between mainland
China and Taiwan talks about one China with both sides having different interpretations
over the meaning of that term.
He said that "national space" was a sensitive issue because it relates to sovereignty
and both sides should, therefore, negotiate a modus vivendi. (Modus vivendi is a Latin
phrase meaning an agreement between those who argree to differ.) "[There are] alternate
ways to conduct foreign relations ... it has happened in the past," he said.
He wanted to see Taiwan as a responsible stakeholder and peacemaker, not a
troublemaker. He also said that the only way Taiwan could survive was by looking
beyond mainland China for trade and investment, and expanding its economic ties to
India and other Asian countries. "We are here (in India) to rediscover India and to let
Taiwan rediscover India," he said.
Mr Ma last visited India in 1997. He is the first Kuomintang leader to visit India in 60
years, since 1947.
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