Mainland blames Taiwan for suspension of communication mechanism

By Xinhua – Global Times Source:Global Times Published: 2016/6/30 0:43:01

Taiwan should take full responsibility for the suspension of the communication mechanism between the Chinese mainland and the island, a mainland spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Taiwan's current administration has failed to recognize the 1992 Consensus which endorses the one-China principle after May 20, shaking the political foundation for cross-Strait interaction, said An Fengshan, spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office at a press conference.

The suspended communication mechanisms include both the regular mechanism between cross-Strait affairs departments and the consultation mechanism between the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).

Both operated on the basis of the 1992 Consensus, An said. "The peaceful development of cross-Strait ties since 2008 did not come out of the blue," he added.

The mainland has not changed its stance, An said. "It was Taiwan which changed the situation."

The key to ensuring negotiations and contact is whether the SEF will be authorized to confirm adherence to the consensus, An said.

"On such a fundamental question, ambiguity is unacceptable," An said.

Communication mechanisms between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have been suspended over Taiwan's current administration's failure to recognize the 1992 Consensus, An made the remarks on Saturday when asked to comment on Taiwan's protests against Cambodia's recent decision to deport Taiwanese telecom fraud suspects to the Chinese mainland.

He said the lawful crackdown on telecom fraud and protection of fraud victims are "perfectly justified, and are supported by people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits."

Since the suspension of the communication mechanisms, many Taipei officials are worried that this summer's Shanghai-Taipei City Forum might be affected, Taiwan-based China Times reported on Tuesday.

Even if the Shanghai-Taipei Forum proceeds, it will be small in scale and at low level, with no breakthrough, a member of the Taipei City Council, told the China Times.

The Shanghai-Taipei City Forum has been held annually by the two cities since 2010 to promote communication, and it is scheduled to be held in Taiwan in July or August this year.




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