(published on The New Anatolian, Sep.14,2005)

A. Over more than 20 years, the Chinese government has implemented a series of positive policies and measures, and brought out a comprehensive development of cross-Straits relations. In November 1992 the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits and Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation reached the common understanding during talks on routine affairs that each of the two organizations should express verbally that "both sides of the Taiwan Straits adhere to the one-China Principle" which was later summarized as "1992 Consensus". In the economic and social aspect, by the end of May, 2005, the mainland had approved the establishment of 65,568 Taiwan-funded businesses with the contractual use of Taiwan investment topping 82.77 billion US dollars. Indirect trade across the Taiwan Straits totaled 438.2 billion dollars, with 71.5 billion dollars of mainland exports to Taiwan and 366.7 billion dollars of mainland imports from Taiwan. The mainland became the biggest export market for Taiwan and also the biggest contributor to Taiwan's trade surplus. The number of Taiwan compatriots now coming to the mainland for doing business, visiting their relatives, sightseeing or exchanges each year passed 3 million by turnstile count. There are over 300,000 Taiwan compatriots now working and living in the mainland. Great progress has also been made in the exchange of mail, telecommunications, air and shipping services across the Straits.

However, since the 1990s, the Taiwan authorities have gradually deviated from the one-China Principle, trumpeting "two governments," "two reciprocal political entities," "Taiwan is already a state with independent sovereignty". Since Chen Shui-bian came to power in 2000, "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces have stepped up their secessionist activities. They don't recognize the one-China principle, deny the 1992 Consensus and adopted a series of measures towards actual separation, thus seriously spoiling the prospect of peaceful reunification, breaching the fundamental interests of Chinese nation and threatening the peace and stability of the Taiwan strait.

B. Faced with the new opportunities and challenges of the development of the cross-Straits relations and in order to push forward the cause of the peaceful reunification of the country, the Chinese President Hu Jintao set forth a four-point guideline on cross-Straits relations on March 4, 2005.

First, never sway in adhering to the one-China principle. Although the mainland and Taiwan are not yet reunified, the fact that the two sides belong to one and the same China has remained unchanged since 1949. This is the status quo of cross-Straits relations. As long as the Taiwan authorities acknowledge the "1992 Consensus", dialogues and talks between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits can be resumed immediately, and can be carried out on whatever topics and issues. The two sides can not only talk about the official conclusion of the state of hostility, the establishment of military mutual trust, the Taiwan region's room of international operation compatible with its status, the political status of the Taiwan authorities and the framework for peaceful and stable development of cross-Straits relations, but also talk about all the issues that need to be resolved in the process of realizing peaceful reunification.

Second, never give up efforts to seek peaceful reunification. The 1.3 billion Chinese people, including the Taiwan compatriots, all love peace and sincerely hope to maintain peace and live in peace. They share an even greater hope that the flesh-and-blood brothers in one family can resolve their own problems peacefully. Peaceful reunification does not mean that one side "swallows" the other, but that the two sides confer on reunification through consultation on an equal footing. When the two sides of the Straits are reunited, the estrangement across the Straits caused by a long time of separation can be removed, and affinity between the compatriots on both sides enhanced. The military confrontation across the Straits will be brought to an end, making it possible for the compatriots on both sides to jointly engage themselves in peaceful construction. The economies of both sides can better complement and mutually benefit each other, bringing the compatriots on both sides together to seek common development. State sovereignty and territorial integrity can be genuinely guaranteed. As long as there is still a ray of hope for peaceful reunification, we'll do our utmost to achieve it.

Third, never change the principle of placing hope on the Taiwan people. The Taiwan compatriots are our flesh-and-blood brothers, as well as an important force in developing cross-Straits relations and checking the "Taiwan independence" secessionist activities. Under whatever circumstances, we shall always respect, trust and rely on the Taiwan compatriots, land ourselves in their position to think of their difficulties, and do everything we can to look after and safeguard their legitimate rights and interests. Anything beneficial to the Taiwan compatriots and conducive to the promotion of cross-Straits exchanges, to the maintenance of peace in the Taiwan Straits region and to the motherland's peaceful reunification, we will do it with our utmost efforts and will do it well. This is our solemn commitment to the broad masses of the Taiwan compatriots.

Fourth, never compromise in opposing the "Taiwan independence" secessionist activities. On no account shall the 1.3 billion Chinese people allow anyone to undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We will not have the slightest hesitation, falter or concession on the major principle issue of opposing secession. The "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces must abandon their secessionist stand and stop all "Taiwan independence" activities. We hope the leader of the Taiwan authorities could earnestly fulfill the "five no's" commitment he reaffirmed on Feb. 24, 2005 as well as his commitment of not seeking "legalization of Taiwan independence" through the "Constitutional reform", and show to the world, through his own concrete action, that this was not an empty word or mere lip service which can be forsaken at will. (The "five no's" commitment refers to the promise once made by the leader of the Taiwan authorities not to do five things in his office tenure. The five things, including declaring "Taiwan independence", changing the official name of the Taiwan region and promoting a so-called "referendum" on "independence or reunification", are all outrageous secessionist activities totally unacceptable to the entire Chinese people.)

C. In order to put the policies of Chinese government over the past 20 years in a codified form, the Chinese National People's Congress adopted the Anti-Secession Law On March 14, 2005. The Law clearly defines that the realization of the national reunification by peaceful means best complies with the fundamental interests of compatriots across the Taiwan Straits. Most parts of the Law encourage and promote the personnel exchanges and economic and cultural communications across the Taiwan Straits, safeguard the legal interests of the Taiwan compatriots, and actively push forward the equal consultation and negotiation across the Taiwan Straits, thus fully demonstrating the sincerity that all issues can be talked on the basis of the one-China policy. Because the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces pose the biggest threat to the interests of the entire Chinese nation by attempting to split the country, the Law also defines the principles on safeguarding China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, opposing and checking Taiwan's secession from China in order to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, and to advance the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation on the whole. Using non-peaceful means to stop secession in defense of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be our last resort when all our efforts for a peaceful reunification should prove futile. Such means and measures would be completely targeted against the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces rather in any way against our Taiwan compatriots.

D. At the invitation of General Secretary Hu Jintao of the Communist Party of China, Lien Chan, chairman of Taiwan's major opposition party Kuomintang (Nationalist Party), made a landmark visit to the mainland in April, 2005. The meeting between the leaders of the two parties has been the first of its kind over 50 years. Lien's visit was followed by People First Party chairman James Soong's visit in May and New Party chairman Yok Mu-ming's visit in July. The four parties all confirmed the one-China principle and "1992 Consensus", explicitly voiced opposition to "Taiwan independence" and aspiration for peace and stability, and hope to build a framework for peaceful and steady development of cross-Straits relations. On the basis of breakthrough made by the party exchanges across the Straits, the Chinese government hopes the Taiwan authorities will recognize the one-China principle and "1992 Consensus", and jointly push cross-Straits ties forward so as to bring benefits to compatriots of both sides.