People's Daily urges Taiwan to stick to "1992 Consensus"

Communist Party of China (CPC) mouthpiece the People's Daily has called on Taiwan to stick to the "1992 Consensus," lest cross-Strait relations swing back to turbulence.

In a commentary to be published on Thursday, the newspaper says the "1992 Consensus," which endorses the One China principle, is key to steady developments of cross-Strait ties and forms the political basis for positive interactions between the two sides.

Although the Chinese mainland and Taiwan are still not unified, "the fact that both sides belong to the one same China has never changed, nor will it change in the future," the article reads.

The "1992 Consensus" was reached between the mainland and Taiwan, not between specific political parties, according to the commentary, which adds that negating the consensus would undermine peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

"Every step forward in cross-Strait ties over the past eight years was the result of political trust built on the '1992 Consensus,'" it says.

Negating the "1992 Consensus" would without doubt led to the collapse of that political trust as well as the institutionalized negotiation mechanism between the two sides, making the "status quo" promised by Taiwan's newly-elected leader nothing more than "empty talk," the commentary says.

"History has shown that opposing Taiwan independence allows cross-Strait ties to sail to a bright future; otherwise, the boat of peaceful development would go astray and even capsize and sink," it reads.

The commentary quotes Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, saying that the Chinese mainland's policy toward Taiwan is clear and consistent, and it would not change along with the change in Taiwan's political situation.

"We will resolutely contain Taiwan independence secessionist activities in any form, safeguard our country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and never allow the historical tragedy of national secession to happen again," Xi is quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, the commentary says the mainland's adherence to the "1992 Consensus" is not only a matter of principle, but also a gesture of "good will."

It goes on to state that the mainland is willing to push forward cross-Strait negotiations and facilitate economic and social exchanges and collaboration between the two sides, in order to enhance the well-being of people from both sides and build a community of a shared future.

The hard-won progress made in cross-Strait ties needs meticulous care from both sides, the commentary says, calling on the island's newly-elected leader to make a "responsible" choice on whether to adhere to the "1992 Consensus" or to adopt an elusive approach to cling to the "Taiwan independence" secessionist claim. Endi