China to consider legal means to promote reunification

The Chinese government will accept and consider earnestly proposals on promoting the reunification of the motherland through legal means, a mainland official said Wednesday in Beijing.

Li Weiyi, a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, China's central government, made the remarks in response to a question on whether the Chinese mainland would institute a law on national reunification at a regular briefing.

The spokesman said that it is a sincere expectation and sacred mission for the whole nation, including the Taiwan compatriots, as well as a common aspiration for the whole Chinese people, including overseas Chinese, to realize a complete reunification of the motherland.

The Chinese government will earnestly take into consideration and accept proposals put forward by personages and organizations from all circles on promoting the reunification of the motherland, including those on promoting the reunification through legal means, the spokesman said.

One-China principle base of cross-straits talks

Chen's authorities recently set up an interactive framework panel for "peace and stability" across the Taiwan Strait, which will be transformed into a committee with the aim of formulating "peace and development outlines" across the Straits, intended to replace the "National Unification Council".

When asked by the press to comment on the issue, Li said the mainland always maintains the two sides across the Strats should negotiate equally on the basis of the one-China principle, so as to end the hostile situation across the Straits.

Currently, the fundamental obstacle to cross-Straits peace talks is Chen's stubborn "Taiwan Independence" separatist stance as "one country on each side," he said.

Chen shouts for "holy war against China" on one hand and asserts to establish an interactive framework for "peace and stability" across the Taiwan Strait on the other hand, which utterly cheats world public opinion, he said.

No "secret envoy" of Chen Shui-bian came to Beijing

"I don't have any materials on the 'secret envoy' issue," Li said.

Chen has no choice but to accept the one-China principle if he really wishes for peace, stability and development of the relations between the two sides across the Taiwan Straits, he said.

"We don't care who is elected as Taiwanese leader. We only care whether he accepts the one-China principle," he said.

Li said after the leader election in Taiwan, the mainland will stick to the current policies towards Taiwan on the basis of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems."

The mainland objects to Taiwan's allowing foreign ships to participate in transportation across the Taiwan Straits, since this violates the principle that foreign ships should not provide domestic transportation service, he said.

The mainland cannot accept the internationalization of cross-Strait sea routes, Li said, urging for realization of "three direct links" across the Taiwan Strait as early as possible.