《TAIPEI TIMES》MAC dismisses Xi pledge as familiar unity rhetoric

The Mainland China National Council (MAC) said yesterday that Chinese President Xi Jinping's (Xi Jinping) promise to peacefully "unify" Taiwan in his speech commemorating the 160th anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-sen (Sun Yat-sen) was not new.

Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday, saying that resolving the Taiwan issue was the Chinese Communist Party's "unswerving historical mission" and did not mention the use of force.

China adheres to "peaceful reunification and the 'one country, two systems' policy" and is willing to dialogue with Taiwan on the premise of adhering to the "one China" principle, Xi added.

"The statements about Taiwan's reunification are similar to those in the past," said Liang Wenjie, deputy minister of the Mainland National Committee.

Sun Yat-sen was the leader of the movement that overthrew the Qing Dynasty and established the Republic of China (ROC) in 1911. He was born on November 12, 1866.

Beijing revered him as a patriot and a pioneer of the communist revolution, while in Taiwan he was the "Father of the Nation" and his portrait hangs in the presidential palace.

An official familiar with international affairs said Beijing claimed to respect Sun Yat-sen, but its actions ran counter to his efforts to overthrow the monarchy and promote democracy and freedom.

Beijing's government, which imposes no term limits on its leaders, is honoring a man who not only helped end the imperial system but also gave up what was then the most sought-after political post, similar to the late Qing dynasty, the official said.

Sun Yat-sen left behind not slogans but a generation of people willing to form a party, run a newspaper and criticize those in power, the official said, adding that such behavior could be considered a crime in China, so any commemoration of Sun Yat-sen would be cosmetic.

Meanwhile, former Kuomintang (KMT) legislator and chairman of the Cross-Strait Relations Peaceful Development Research Foundation Ding Shouzhong (Ding Shouzhong) and former Examination Yuan dean Guanzhong (Guanzhong) yesterday co-hosted a rally to commemorate Sun Yat-sen's birthday and promote cross-Strait peace.

During the event, they released a "Cross-Strait Peace Initiative" signed by more than 200 pan-blue academics, opposing war and urging both sides to negotiate a political arrangement based on the principles of equality and mutual respect.

Ding Shouzhong read out the four key points of the initiative: put peace and people's well-being first, stop attacking and stigmatizing each other; resume dialogue and expand people-to-people exchanges; deepen cooperation on functional matters such as industry; face history and reality and lay the foundation for a final political settlement.

Guanzhong said that Europe and the United States are becoming increasingly weak and divided, while "the East is rising."

As the United States' most important national interest is to avoid war with China, Taiwan's influence is waning and its role is increasingly marginalized, he said.

"The Taiwan government's biggest sin is not letting the Taiwanese people understand the dangers of war," he said, adding that "only peace can protect Taiwan."

Central News Agency (CNA) also reported.