The “1992 Consensus”
The “1992 Consensus” was an oral agreement reached between the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), resulting from talks they held between late October and early December of 1992. The two non-governmental organizations agreed that “both sides of the Taiwan Straits will follow the one-China principle,” and this subsequently became the political foundation for cross-Straits consultations.
The kernel of the “1992 Consensus” is the “one-China principle,” which means seeking common ground while reserving differences. The “1992 Consensus” defines cross-Straits relations as neither “state-to-state” nor “one China, one Taiwan,” but confirms the fact that the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China.
The “1992 Consensus” is the foundation on which cross-Straits relations can progress positively in peace and stability. It therefore holds the key to peaceful development between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits. By recognizing the “1992 Consensus” and accepting that the two sides both belong to one China, both sides can conduct dialog to address through discussion the concerns of the people of both sides, and no political party or group in Taiwan will have any difficulty in conducting exchanges with the mainland.
Addressing the meeting in January 2019 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the publication of the Message to Our Compatriots in Taiwan, Xi Jinping made a call that, on the shared political foundation of the “1992 Consensus” and struggle against “Taiwan independence,” the political parties and people from all walks of life on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, select their representatives to conduct extensive democratic consultations on cross-Straits relations and the future of the Chinese nation, and make institutional plans for promoting peaceful development of cross-Straits relations,
“九二共识”
1992年10月底至12月初，中国大陆的民间团体——海峡两岸关系协会与台湾的民间团体——海峡交流基金会，经过多次磋商，最终形成了以口头方式表达的“海峡两岸均坚持一个中国的原则”的共识，为实现和推进两岸协商奠定政治基础，后被称为“九二共识”。其核心是“坚持一个中国”，精髓是求同存异。“九二共识”明确界定了两岸关系的根本性质，即大陆与台湾同属一个中国，两岸关系不是国与国关系，也不是“一中一台”。“九二共识”是两岸关系保持和平稳定和良性互动的基础，是确保两岸关系和平发展的关键。承认“九二共识”的历史事实，认同两岸同属一个中国，两岸双方就能开展对话，协商解决两岸同胞关心的问题，台湾任何政党和团体同大陆交往也不会存在障碍。2019年1月在《告台湾同胞书》发表40周年纪念会上，习近平发出郑重倡议，在坚持“九二共识”、反对“台独”的共同政治基础上，两岸各政党、各界别推举代表性人士，就两岸关系和民族未来开展广泛深入的民主协商，就推动两岸关系和平发展达成制度性安排。