Li Peng looks forward to cross-strait relations: Grasp the general trend of development and promote integrated development with "communication, benefit, and affection."

Beijing, 20 Jan (China News Network) -- Li Peng looks forward to cross-strait relations: Grasp the general trend of development and promote integrated development with "communication, benefit, and affection."

China News Network reporter Chen Xiaoyan

For cross-strait relations, 2022 is an important time node: This year is the 30th year of the "1992 Consensus, and if the Taiwan Strait wants to develop peacefully and steadily, the core essence of this consensus is even more important today; the 20th CPC National Congress will be held in the second half of the year. A reporter from China News Network recently interviewed Li Peng, dean of the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Xiamen University, to look forward to cross-strait relations in 2022, analyze the overall situation of the situation in the Taiwan Strait, and promote integrated development with "communication, benefit, and affection."

China News Service: General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed at the commemoration of the 110th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution that we adhere to the basic principle of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems", adhere to the one-China principle and the "1992 Consensus", and promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations. How do you view the significance of the "two insistences" for the current development of cross-strait relations?

Li Peng: The mainland's basic principles and principles toward Taiwan have been formed in the long-term practice of cross-strait relations and are in the same vein and consistent with each other. "Peaceful reunification and one country, two systems" is the basic principle that the mainland has adhered to since the 1980s and is still the best way to resolve the Taiwan issue. Adhering to the one-China principle and the "1992 Consensus" is to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and safeguard the historical and legal facts that both sides of the strait belong to one China.

There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and this is not premised on the Taiwan authorities' recognition, non-recognition, acceptance, and non-acceptance. No matter who or which party is in power in Taiwan, adhering to the "1992 Consensus" and opposing "Taiwan independence" and separatism are the political basis for cross-strait consultations and exchanges and are the needles in the haystack for ensuring peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait region.

China News Service: Since February 2020, the DPP authorities have restricted mainland people from going to Taiwan on the grounds of epidemic prevention. How has the mechanism for experts from the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University to go to Taiwan to carry out academic exchanges has been affected? Under the current situation, how has the Taiwan people's perception of the mainland changed?

Li Peng: At present, the direct exchanges between compatriots on both sides of the strait have been affected to a certain extent due to the COVID-19 epidemic and the political obstruction of the DPP authorities. We are currently communicating more with the island by video. Chinese pay attention to "meeting with three points of affection," and due to the decrease in face-to-face exchanges, the feelings will inevitably be affected; coupled with the smear and rumor-mongering and vicious methods and intimidation of the DPP authorities, some Taiwan compatriots have deepened their prejudices and prejudices against the mainland. However, "the green mountains cannot be covered, after all, they are flowing eastward," and these tricks of the DPP authorities have been concealed for a while, not for a lifetime.

The willingness of compatriots on both sides of the strait to direct exchanges is still very strong, and there will be "blowout" restorative exchanges after the new crown epidemic, which is difficult for the DPP authorities to stop with political force. When we look at the development of cross-strait relations and promote cross-strait people-to-people exchanges, we must look at the overall situation and look at the long term, the new crown epidemic will eventually pass, and the political lies of the DPP authorities will be exposed sooner or later.

China News Network: Over the years, the mainland has issued a number of policies to promote cross-strait economic and trade cooperation. Fujian has advantages in exploring a new road of cross-strait integration and development first, how do you observe the progress of relevant work?

Li Peng: The close economic and trade relations between the two sides of the strait have been formed in the course of decades of economic exchanges and cooperation, have a profound economic foundation and public opinion needs, and reflect objective economic laws. In the past two years, although the DPP authorities have vigorously promoted economic "decoupling," economic data have shown that even in the context of the epidemic, the more "hooked" the cross-strait economy, the tighter the "hook," Taiwan's economic and trade dependence on the mainland has reached a new high. This also proves that attempts to violate the law of economic development and obstruct the development of cross-strait economic and trade relations cannot succeed.

Fujian and Taiwan have regional and cultural advantages in integrated development, and General Secretary Xi Jinping has high hopes for Fujian's work on Taiwan, hoping that Fujian can accelerate the construction of a cross-strait integration development demonstration zone and take greater steps in exploring a new road of cross-strait integration and development, which was also written into the report of the eleventh party congress of Fujian Province. In recent years, Fujian Province has done a great deal of work in giving play to the characteristics of being the first to test Taiwan and promoting the in-depth integration of the two sides of the strait, and has also introduced specific policies and measures that benefit Taiwan compatriots, such as "66 articles," "42 articles," and "28 articles." It can be said that the economic integration between Fujian and Taiwan has become closer, the integration of the infrastructure field has continued, and the integration of the social field has become increasingly close. The next step can be to make more fuss about "speeding up" and "taking greater steps", pay attention to implementation, and promote the practical effects of "promoting integration with communication", "promoting integration with benefits" and "promoting integration with feelings".

China News Network: The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will be held this year, how do you judge its impact on cross-strait relations?

Li Peng: The Twentieth National Congress of the Communist Party of China is a very important congress held at an important moment when we have entered the important moment of comprehensively building a modern socialist country and marching toward the new journey of striving for the second centenary struggle. Resolving the Taiwan issue and realizing the complete reunification of the motherland is an unswerving historical task of the CPC, and it is expected that it is also an important aspect that will certainly be covered in the report of the Twentieth CPC National Congress; this will not only have an important impact on the current cross-strait relations, but will also be of great significance to guiding the work toward Taiwan and developing cross-strait relations for a long time to come.

China News Service: Last year, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council announced a number of "Taiwan independence" diehards on the list. Some public opinion holds that under the current situation, "opposing independence" is an important part of the mainland's work toward Taiwan, and it will be further strengthened this year. What is your observation?

Li Peng: "Opposing independence" and promoting reunification are both important contents of the mainland's work toward Taiwan. The "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and their separatist acts are the greatest scourge to the peace and stability of the current situation in the Taiwan Strait, the root cause of the political and social chaos on the island, and the greatest threat to the interests and well-being of the Taiwan compatriots. There are still some "Taiwan independence" separatist forces on the island, who are unable to recognize the overall situation on both sides of the strait, and still have a fluke mentality and a motive for risk-taking.

As long as the "Taiwan independence" adventures and provocations on the island do not cease, the mainland's containment of "Taiwan independence" will not be relaxed. In addition to curbing "Taiwan independence," the mainland is also stepping up the work of "promoting reunification." The two complement each other. At present, the DPP authorities are using "resisting reunification" as an excuse to "seek independence," and "opposing independence" and promoting reunification must be organically combined to fight a combined fist in order to truly and effectively curb "Taiwan independence."

China News Service: Do you think that the US "taiwan to control China" is likely to change in the short term, and to what extent will this affect the development of cross-strait relations?

Li Peng: "Using Taiwan to control China" is a part of the LONG-term US strategy toward China, but it has taken different forms of expression at different times. The United States is bound to play the "Taiwan card" in its strategic competition with China. The US Government's "using Taiwan to control China" is mainly manifested in its attempt to use the Taiwan issue to constantly cause trouble for China, distract China's attention from concentrating on construction, and even go so far as to create cross-strait conflicts and disrupt and interrupt the process of China's comprehensive realization of a socialist modern power. The United States is facing midterm elections this year, and some members of Congress will use the Taiwan issue to make a fuss.

President Xi Jinping has made it clear in his video meeting with US President Joe Biden that if the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces provoke and coerce, or even break through the red line, we will have to take drastic measures. Therefore, on the issue of guarding against the DPP authorities' "relying on the United States for independence" and the United States' "using Taiwan to control China," it is imperative to uphold the awareness of the bottom line and enhance the ability to guard against risks.

China News Service: Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, recently looked forward to cross-strait relations in 2022 and said that "there is no reason to be pessimistic." What do you think?

Li Peng: The situation in the Taiwan Strait will continue to be complicated and severe in 2022, mainly because there is still no sign of fundamental improvement in the political atmosphere on the island and the external environment of the Taiwan issue. Whether it is the "nine-in-one" election on the island or the midterm election in the United States, it may bring new variables to cross-strait relations. However, when we look at cross-strait relations, we must not only see one thing at a time, but also look at the overall situation and observe cross-strait relations in the context of a large time and space.

Neither the United States nor the Taiwan authorities can shake the basic pattern of cross-strait relations or change the development trend of cross-strait relations. As long as we see the timing and trend of cross-strait relations on the mainland's side, and see that we still firmly grasp the initiative in leading cross-strait relations, and as long as the mainland maintains its strategic self-confidence, it will not be pessimistic about cross-strait relations, and we will be able to understand the confidence and strength behind the mainland's maintenance of strategic determination.

China News Service: What do you think of the "timetable" discussed by netizens on the settlement of the Taiwan issue?

Li Peng: National reunification is a historical necessity for the Chinese nation to realize its great rejuvenation, but when and in what way to resolve the Taiwan issue should be considered in the overall situation of comprehensively building a socialist modern power and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping said, "Fundamentally speaking, the key factor that determines the direction of cross-strait relations is the development and progress of the mainland of the motherland. We must maintain our own development momentum and at the same time adopt correct policies and measures to do a good job in Taiwan's work." At present, we have embarked on a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, and how to maintain the momentum of our own development is the most critical. As long as we can continue to develop and make progress, our strength in resolving the Taiwan issue will become stronger and stronger, our capabilities will become stronger and stronger, and our methods will be more and more numerous.

Everyone fully understands the people's desire for an early settlement of the Taiwan issue, and every Chinese has a "timetable" for resolving the Taiwan issue in their hearts. As long as everyone does their own work in a down-to-earth manner, contributes to the comprehensive construction of a socialist modern power, and strives to realize national rejuvenation, it is a "timetable" for promoting national reunification with practical actions. (End)

Source: China News Network