Mainland urges Taiwan to return to 1992 Consensus to resume dialogue

BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The Taiwan side needs to return to the political foundation defined by the 1992 Consensus if it really intends to resume dialogue across the Strait, said a Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday.

Merely talking about cross-Strait dialogue without relevant actions is unconvincing and devoid of sincerity, said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press conference.

The spokesperson made the remarks in response to a media query about a public figure in Taiwan who claimed that the mainland had always responded Taiwan's wish to restore cross-Strait dialogue with "the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus."

The spokesperson also stressed the importance of the one-China principle in exchanges with the mainland.

The Chinese mainland is open to strengthening exchanges and negotiations with political parties, groups and representatives in Taiwan on the basis of the one-China principle, said Chen, noting that the fundamental obstacles preventing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) from engaging in such exchanges with the mainland lie in their separatist stance.

The remarks were made in response to a media query regarding the mainland's willingness to interact with Lai Ching-te after May 20.

The DPP is welcome as long as they are committed to advancing peaceful development across the Strait on the basis of the one-China principle, the spokesperson said.

Peace and stability can be maintained only if the DPP authorities abandon their separatist stance, stop colluding with external forces to pursue so-called "Taiwan independence" and refrain from engaging in provocations, and return to the 1992 Consensus that embodies the one-China principle, the spokesperson added.