No Taiwan Independence Issue, Chiu Chui-cheng Says: Maintain Status Quo with Dignity

(Central News Agency reporter Li Ya-wen, Taipei, 9th) Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng stated today that at the current stage, there is no Taiwan independence issue, only the issue of being 'unified.' The government consistently adheres to the 'Four Persistences,' maintaining the status quo with dignity; the Chinese Communist Party is the source attempting to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

Chiu Chui-cheng gave an interview to online program host Huang Guangqin at noon today.

Asked about the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) 'Taiwan Independence Party Platform,' Chiu stated that the Taiwan Independence Party Platform is a party matter and it is not appropriate for the government to respond to this issue.

Chiu emphasized that according to the Constitution of the Republic of China (ROC), the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent democratic country, with no subordinate relationship to any other country in the world, including non-subordination to the People's Republic of China (PRC). This is an objective fact and the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, which must be protected from change.

He said the government adheres to the 'Four Persistences,' maintaining the status quo with dignity, which is also the greatest consensus among the people of Taiwan. At the current stage, there is no Taiwan independence issue, only the issue of being forcibly unified and annexed by the Chinese Communist Party. The government handles cross-strait relations pragmatically in accordance with the Constitution, the Additional Articles of the Constitution, the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, and other relevant laws.

Regarding the Chinese Communist Party's continued composite pressure on Taiwan, Chiu said that Chinese military aircraft and vessels continue to harass Taiwan. The Chinese Communist Party is also intensifying pressure on Taiwan through diplomatic suppression, economic coercion, social infiltration, cross-border repression, and cognitive warfare. The government will not compromise or yield, and will continue to maintain a resilient cross-strait policy that is non-provocative and non-aggressive, pursuing the maintenance of the status quo.

Chiu emphasized that it is currently the Chinese Communist Party that is attempting to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and trying to interfere with Taiwan. The current cross-strait tensions and regional instability are all based on the Chinese Communist Party's desire to use force to change the status quo and annex Taiwan. Taiwan now only has the problem of being forcibly unified and annexed; this is the essence of the problem.

Regarding Kuomintang (KMT) Chairperson Cheng Li-wen's visit to the United States, Chiu mentioned that if the chairperson of Taiwan's largest opposition party can convey the mainstream public opinion of Taiwan during her visit, that would certainly be a good thing. However, unfortunately, so far, Cheng Li-wen's performance has been more like a 'mouthpiece' for Mainland China, adopting the narrative methods commonly used by the Chinese Communist Party.

Chiu said that the KMT has significant influence in Taiwan. During her visit to the US, Cheng Li-wen should reflect the true voice of Taiwan's mainstream public opinion, not present the Chinese Communist Party's narrative on Taiwan, which would confuse the international community's understanding of Taiwan's position. This would instead put the overall interests of the nation in a disadvantageous position.

The 'Four Persistences' refer to: forever adhering to the free and democratic constitutional system; adhering to the non-subordination between the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China; adhering to the principle that sovereignty cannot be violated or annexed; and adhering to the principle that the future of the Republic of China (Taiwan) shall follow the will of all the people of Taiwan. (Editor: Chiu Kuo-chiang) 1150609