[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Seoyul] On the day Chinese President Xi Jinping repeatedly mentioned the One Country, Two Systems policy to mark the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's sovereignty return, Taiwan once again expressed its opposition to the One Country, Two Systems-style cross-strait (mainland China and Taiwan) unification. China proposes the One Country, Two Systems approach, which maintains a capitalist system like Hong Kong, as the principle for peaceful unification with Taiwan, but Taiwan has clearly rejected this stance.
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, the agency responsible for mainland China affairs, stated on the 1st through its website that "Hong Kong's democracy, human rights, freedom, and rule of law have seriously regressed compared to 25 years ago," adding, "This shows that the essence of the Chinese Communist Party's implementation of 'One Country, Two Systems' in Hong Kong conflicts with universal values." The council further noted, "The people of Taiwan have repeatedly expressed a firm position rejecting One Country, Two Systems to the world and the Chinese Communist Party through democratic elections."
The Mainland Affairs Council said that the 'Four Major Principles'?constitutional democracy, mutual non-subordination between Taiwan and China, rejection of sovereignty infringement and annexation, and the right of the Taiwanese people to decide Taiwan's future?are their fundamental principles. It also clearly stated to Chinese authorities that "only by recognizing the fact that Taiwan exists can the political conflicts across the strait be addressed."
On the 1st, President Xi attended the 25th anniversary ceremony of Hong Kong's sovereignty return held in Hong Kong and declared that One Country, Two Systems has achieved globally recognized success and will be sustained long-term.
Earlier, in an October speech commemorating the 110th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution, President Xi reaffirmed the basic principles of cross-strait relations, including peaceful unification and One Country, Two Systems, stating that "peaceful reunification of the motherland best serves the overall interests of the Chinese nation, including Taiwan."
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