1992 consensus

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Location of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan)

The term consensus from 1992 or 1992 consensus ( Chinese  九二 共識  /  九二 共识 , English 1992 consensus ) is understood in political parlance to mean an unofficial agreement between politicians from the Republic of China in Taiwan and the People's Republic of China , which took place on April 28-30 October 1992 in Hong Kong is said to have been achieved. The term “1992 consensus” was coined only eight years after the consultations at that time, ie in 2000. The existence of an explicit consensus is denied by some political groups in Taiwan, others rely on it. Since the consensus has never been formulated or ratified jointly by official representatives or legislative institutions on both sides, there is no official wording on it; the descriptions of the consensus mostly have the common essence: both sides recognize that there is only “ one China ”, but at the same time register that they have different ideas about what this China should look like. This means that Taiwan, as the remaining territory of the Republic of China, belongs to the one China and waives a unilateral declaration of independence.

history

background

In the Chinese Civil War , which ended in 1949, the communists were victorious and took power in mainland China , where the People's Republic of China was founded. The previously dominant national Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) government fled to the island of Taiwan and continued the Republic of China there. In the following decades, both states claimed China to be the sole representative. Official diplomatic relations between the two states did not exist and still do not exist today. Ultimately, the People's Republic of China was recognized diplomatically by more and more countries in the world and the Republic of China on Taiwan (hereinafter referred to as: Taiwan) fell into diplomatic sideline. An opposition movement also grew up in Taiwan, rejecting the sole rule of the Kuomintang and at the same time, at least in part, demanding the abandonment of the claim to reunification with mainland China and the development of its own “Taiwanese” identity. The Kuomintang underwent an internal reform process and initiated a process of democratization in the 1980s under Presidents Chiang Ching-kuo (1978–1988) and Lee Teng-hui (1988–2000), which led to the establishment of other parties. In 1986 the most important opposition party to this day, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was founded. The parliament, the Legislative Yuan , was first elected on December 19, 1992 in a democratic and free election .

Meeting in 1992

From October 28 to 30, 1992, representatives of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China met in the crown colony of Hong Kong , which was then still under British sovereignty . The Taiwanese representatives were members of the Strait Exchange Foundation (SEF) and the representatives of the People's Republic of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS). Shortly before, the Taiwanese government under Prime Minister Hau Pei-tsun and President Lee Teng-hui (both KMT) once again made their point of view clear:

“Both sides agree that there is only one China. However, the two sides have different views on what the term "one China" means. For Beijing, “one China” means the “People's Republic of China”, with Taiwan being a “special administrative region” after unification. Taipei understands “one China” as the Republic of China (ROC), which was founded in 1911 and which has de jure full sovereignty over all of China. However, the ROC currently only has political control over Taiwan, Penghu , Kinmen , and Matsu . Taiwan is part of China and mainland China is also part of China. "

- Mainland Affairs Council, Executive Yuan : Opinion August 1, 1992

There was no official communiqué or protocol about the Hong Kong meeting, only quasi diplomatic notes were exchanged afterwards . The SEF issued the following statement: “On November 3, 1992, a person in charge of the Sino-Communist ARATS declared that they were willing to 'respect and accept' the proposal of the SEF that each side should apply the respective principles on the term 'a China 'verbally. ”And on November 6, ARATS issued a statement published in the Beijing newspaper Renmin Ribao , which stated:“ At this working meeting in Hong Kong, SEF representatives suggested that each side verbally should present their positions on the one China principle. On November 3rd, the SEF sent a letter formally announcing that each side would make appropriate announcements. ARATS respects and accepts the proposal of the SEF. "

Conceptualization

Su Chi, the creator of the term "1992 Consensus"

The term "1992 consensus" was coined in 2000 by Kuomintang politician Su Chi (蘇 起), then chairman of the National Security Council of Taiwan. In 2000, Chen Shui-bian , the DPP candidate , surprisingly won the presidential election. Chen had previously emerged as a committed advocate of Taiwan's sovereignty, and his political opponents feared that his policies would lead to serious tensions with the People's Republic of China. From this situation, he brought the term into play, so Su in a later justification. However, this was only "old wine in new bottles". His aim was to cover up the seemingly irreconcilable opposing positions between the new DPP-led Taiwanese administration and the People's Republic of China. Gradually, this term then became accepted in political parlance.

Viewpoints

The various parties have different positions on the 1992 consensus issue.

People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China takes an uncompromising one-China position . Taiwan is part of China, even if it is currently not under the direct control of the government in Beijing . The People's Republic of China has threatened several times that Taiwan's formal declaration of independence would mean casus belli . From the Taiwanese side, the rapid rearmament of the People's Republic is seen as the most serious threat to its own security. On March 14, 2005, an anti-secession law came into effect in the People's Republic, making reunification with Taiwan a national goal and an internal matter for China. The government was authorized to use military means should a "secession" (ie declaration of independence) of Taiwan occur.

Kuomintang

Ma Ying-jeou (KMT, President 2008-2016) repeatedly emphasized the binding nature of the "1992 consensus"

Since the term was coined in 2000, the Kuomintang has repeatedly invoked "consensus". When the KMT occupied the presidency again after the presidential election in 2008 , the newly elected President Ma Ying-jeou emphasized in his inauguration speech the need for an “open dialogue based on the 1992 consensus”. Even after his re-election four years later in 2012, in his first speech after the election, he again described the “consensus” as the basis of his policy towards mainland China. In an address during a visit to the USA in 2015, he said that the concept of the 1992 consensus had been proposed by Taiwan and accepted by the People's Republic of China. Some have described this policy as "a masterpiece of ambiguity," but ultimately this policy has resulted in both sides putting aside their hardened sovereignty positions and entering into a constructive exchange for mutual benefit.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)

The DPP chairwoman and President Tsai Ing-wen, who was elected in 2016, rejected the term “1992 consensus” and instead suggested a “Taiwan consensus”

At Taiwan's other major party, the DPP, the concept of the 1992 consensus met with opposition from the start. In 1992 there was a meeting, but no “consensus”. After the two electoral defeats in the presidential elections in 2008 and 2012 against the KMT, however, individual voices also arose in the DPP, which advised recognition of the consensus. The DPP does not have its own credible concept for dealing with the People's Republic of China. In contrast to the 1992 Consensus, the former DPP chairman propagated Tsai Ing-wen in 2011 their concept of a "Taiwan consensus" ( Taiwan consensus ). The basic idea of ​​this concept was that first of all there had to be a consensus within Taiwanese society. Such a consensus would have to cross party lines. Apart from the principle that Taiwan's right to self-determination should be preserved, the contents of this proposed Taiwan Consensus remained relatively vague and the concept did not gain much importance in the presidential election the following year. In the 2016 presidential election , won by the DPP under Tsai, this term came up again. In her inauguration speech, Tsai did not mention the 1992 consensus, but acknowledged that the 1992 talks were a "historic fact". She was then asked by official authorities of the People's Republic to make her position clear on this matter. In an interview with the Washington Post in August 2016, President Tsai finally rejected the term "1992 consensus". You could not agree to this concept, as this is not the will of the Taiwanese people.

United States

The United States has not taken an official position on the "1992 Consensus". that is, they avoided explicitly recognizing this consensus, but they did not deny it either. US foreign policy in relation to the People's Republic of China was guided by the maxim that unnecessary tension should not be provoked. On December 28, 2010, the US State Department made this point of view clear in an interview with the Taiwanese Liberty Times : Questions regarding the establishment of the basis for a dialogue between Taiwan and the People's Republic of China must be resolved by the two parties. The United States would not take a stand on these issues and it would be in its interest that all cross-strait solutions to problems be peaceful. Formally, the United States had no official diplomatic relations with Taiwan; on the other hand, the United States saw itself as an unofficial guarantor of Taiwan, in the sense that they did not want to accept a military invasion of the island state by the People's Republic of China, as was the case with the Taiwan Strait crisis in 1995 / 96 showed. In September 1992 President George HW Bush decided , in view of the increasing armament of the People's Republic, to end the long-held arms embargo against Taiwan and to sell 150 F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan. In the past, the US tended to support the position of the Kuomintang governments as they expected less tension with the People's Republic. In the years since 2010, the US relationship with the People's Republic has deteriorated due to various issues, including the territorial conflicts in the China Sea . US diplomacy has since started to understand the attitude of DPP politicians.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hu Ping: What is The 1992 Consensus, And Will Tsai Ing-wen Follow It? Radio Free Asia, May 27, 2016, accessed November 22, 2016 .
  2. ↑ Shirley A. Kan: China / Taiwan: Evolution of the “One China”: Policy — Key Statements from Washington, Beijing, and Taipei, pp. 49–52. (PDF) Congressional Research service, October 10, 2014, accessed on November 27, 2016 .
  3. ↑ a b c Shirley A. Kan: China / Taiwan: Evolution of the “One China”: Policy — Key Statements from Washington, Beijing, and Taipei. (PDF) Congressional Research service, October 10, 2014, accessed on November 22, 2016 .
  4. ^ The 1992 Consensus: The key to cross-strait reconciliation. Taiwan Today, August 30, 2011, accessed November 23, 2016 .
  5. ^ New Taiwan Report Considers the China Threat. The Diplomat, November 5, 2015, accessed November 23, 2016 .
  6. ^ Text of China's anti-secession law. BBC News, March 14, 2005, accessed November 23, 2016 .
  7. ^ Full text of President Ma's Inaugural Address. The China Post, May 21, 2008, accessed November 23, 2016 .
  8. ^ Mo Yan-chih: MA'S RE-INAUGURATION: Ma speech focuses on economic growth. Taipei Times, May 21, 2012, accessed November 23, 2016 .
  9. ↑ Ma ride rates importance of '1992 consensus'. Taipei Times, July 14, 2015, accessed November 23, 2016 .
  10. ↑ Stephanie Chao: DPP accepts 1992 meet, not Consensus. The China Post, May 5, 2016, accessed November 24, 2016 .
  11. ↑ Chris Wang: DPP soul-searching on Taiwan, '1992 consensus'. Taipei Times, December 30, 2012, accessed November 24, 2016 .
  12. ↑ Chris Wang: Tsai details DPP's cross-strait policies. Taipei Times, accessed November 24, 2016 .
  13. ^ Full text of President Tsai's inaugural address. May 20, 2016, accessed June 15, 2020 .
  14. ↑ Tsai Ing-wen should clarify stance on 1992 Consensus: mainland pundits. May 21, 2016, accessed November 23, 2016 .
  15. ↑ Stephanie Chao: Tsai's interview answer is first public refusal to accept '1992 Consensus': Chinese media. The China Post, accessed November 24, 2016 .
  16. ^ J. Michael Cole: The US Position on the '1992 Consensus': Why it Matters. The Diplomat, May 19, 2015, accessed November 22, 2016 .
  17. ^ Shirley Kan: Reconciling cross-strait contrivance. TaipeiTimes, October 22, 2015, accessed on November 22, 2016 (English, original quote: “… questions relating to establishing the basis for dialogue between Taiwan and the People's Republic of China are matters for the two parties to resolve. The US takes no position on the substance of such questions. Our interest is that any resolution of cross-strait issues be peaceful. " ).
  18. ^ Denny Roy: Collision Course: The Looming US-China Showdown Over Taiwan. The National Interest, February 21, 2015, accessed November 22, 2016 .