Tsai urges amendment to require referendums before bilateral talks

Tsai said as DPP chairwoman she invites President Ma Ying-jeou to convene talks across party lines for the purpose of ironing out details of the amendment. She hopes talks may begin within the week, prior to recess of the Legislative Yuan.

Her remarks at the central DPP headquarters come in the wake of Ma's recent statements in favor of a peace pact with mainland China. Ma said Monday that he is hopeful the deal would be signed within the next decade.

Ma made numerous revisions within 48 hours of his announcement, Tsai said, in particular regarding his timetable for the pact.

As leader of the nation, the president should refrain from impetuous forays and sudden retreats. In the face of critical cross-strait issues, Ma must not render a blurred position.

During an interview with an international political journal in 2009, Ma said that any bilateral political talks must be on the premise of acceptance for Taiwan's democratic system and for the existence of the Republic of China.

Ma also said that dialogue is possible only upon the removal of mainland Chinese preconditions and Chinese missiles aimed at Taiwan, said Tsai.

At present, not one of the four prerequisites has been fulfilled.

If Ma can remember his position, he would realize it is inappropriate to initiate peace talks while China maintains the “1992 Consensus” or the “one China” policy as preconditions, said Tsai.

While the idea of a peace pact is hardly new, the DPP stipulates that bilateral negotiations must be between two nations. Ma's pact would proceed under the “one China” policy, under which Taiwan would not be considered a sovereign entity.

Tsai said her position is that official bilateral talks are on the table only if mainland China can set aside its preconditions and respect Taiwan's sovereignty, democracy, and pursuit of equality. Talks must also be authorized by plebiscite.

Trouble in Tianjin

Tsai said that the cross-strait nuclear safety agreement inked Thursday in Tianjin belied Taiwan's political vulnerability. The pact came out of the 7th round of talks between high-level intermediary agents on both sides of the strait.

Mainland China does not see the deal as one between sovereign entities, said Tsai. The deal was possible because mainland China considers Taiwan a management zone under its “one China” Policy.

The mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS, 海峽兩岸關係協會) made thinly veiled threats on Thursday, regarding the risks that Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF, 大陸海協會) would meet if it rejects the “1992 Consensus.”

SEF delegates were not in the position to respond and the central government has since turned a blind eye to reports — the incident demonstrates Taiwan's continued inability to preserve its basic dignity, said Tsai.

Delegate Chen Yuling (陳雲林) of ARATS said Thursday that “a basic condition for having gone down today's path of peaceful development is that both sides have established mutual trust on a joint political basis.

“If this political basis is abandoned, not only will it be hard for cross-strait talks to continue, relations will also be seriously damaged, and the results that have been attained will be lost,” he said.

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