Taiwan urged to recognize one-China policy again

Acknowledgment of the one-China policy is the prerequisite for Taiwan's participation in regional economic cooperation, a mainland spokeswoman reiterated on Wednesday over concerns about the negative impact on the island economy that will be caused by its exclusion from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Taiwan, which has close economic and trade ties with RCEP members, was not included in the world's largest trade pact, which was signed this month by 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand to promote cooperation.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said Taiwan used to have opportunities to participate in regional economic cooperation in the past when the two sides across the Straits both recognized the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China policy.

However, the Democratic Progressive Party, the ruling party on the island, who has refused to acknowledge the principle, damaged the situation, she said, adding that the consequences of the DPP's efforts undermining cross-Straits relations will gradually emerge.

Zhu said that Taiwan enterprises are welcome to invest in the mainland, participate in and integrate themselves into the mainland's economic development and share strategic opportunities for the mainland's development.

The island's investment in the mainland reached $4.71 billion between January and October, up 47 percent over the same period last year, according to data released by the island's economic authority.

Trade across the Taiwan Straits has grown against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic this year, which shows that cross-Straits economic cooperation conforms to the interests of people on both sides, and no force can stop it, Zhu said.

The United States and Taiwan signed a pact to have economic talks every year for the next five years on Friday after a new round of talks between the two sides to step up collaboration in supply chains, science and technology, 5G and telecommunications security, and global health.

Tang Yonghong, deputy director of the Taiwan Research Center at Xiamen University, said the US is only using Taiwan to contain the mainland by engaging in economic dialogue with the DPP, which will not have much effect on the island's economic development.

After the implementation of the free trade agreement, Taiwan will be further marginalized in the process of regional economic integration, he said.

If the DPP is serious about the island's economic development, it should acknowledge the one-China policy and promote economic integration and development with the mainland, he added.

Earlier this year, island leader Tsai Ing-wen announced that it will open up its market next year to US pork. Such pork may contain ractopamine, a feed additive used to promote leanness in animals raised for their meat that poses a significant health risk to Taiwan residents.

In the annual "Autumn Struggle "protest march organized by labor groups on Sunday, thousands of people in Taiwan took to the streets in Taipei to protest the decision to ease restrictions on imports of US pork.

Zhu said the DPP has caused public outrage for its own benefit and has disregarded the interests and well-being of the Taiwan people.

The spokeswoman also denounced the DPP for seeking "independence" by force after the island launched production of its first locally made submarine on Tuesday.

The island's submarine development is an effort to improve its defensive capability against the mainland, Zhu said.

The DPP authorities' attempt to engage in armed confrontation and seek "independence" by such means is doomed to fail, she said.