James Soong, chairman of the People First Party (PFP) in Taiwan, visited Tsinghua University and delivered a speech May 11 in the Main Building, where many international political leaders have spoken, including U.S. President George W. Bush and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
In his opening remarks to the crowd of 600 students and faculty, Mr. Soong said: “Thundershowers had been predicted for this morning, but now we here in Tsinghua can see a sunny and breezy day. The weather change could be a forecast for the cross-strait relationship, and that forecast is expected by all of us.”
In his speech, Mr. Soong mentioned the Tsinghua University branch in Xinzhu, Taiwan. “We may use such a comparison to describe the two universities; that is, they are two stores sharing one brand and will reach the same goal by different routes. Isn’t that the ultimate aim of the current cross-strait relationship?”
Mr. Soong then repeated the comments he made upon his arrival in Beijing, saying, “History should be a mirror for us, not a rope. With a mirror we can check what we have done, learn lessons from earlier generations and prevent us from the same mistakes. But with a rope we would be trapped in historical conflicts, and hindered from thinking rationally about the future. Let us, including people here from Taiwan and the mainland and those relative political leaders, solve our own problems by ourselves, together.”
Discussing the current cross-strait relationship, Mr. Soong said most Taiwan people never deny they are Chinese and also believe in many religions practiced on the mainland. They have homes on both sides of the strait: one with their ancestors and the other with posterity, and nobody wants to abandon either of them.
Defining the PFP as a Taiwan-born party that loves Taiwan and also possesses strong feelings of attachment to the Chinese nation, Mr. Soong declared that the PFP stands resolutely against “Taiwan Independence”, which is a dead end and should never be the option of the PFP or people of Taiwan. The basic solution for cross-strait relations should be to find the “greatest common denominator” of both sides.
Mr. Soong concluded his speech with eight Chinese characters “monument doesn't tell story，however action speaks louder than words, and then said, in a line reminiscent of a famous phrase from U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address: “Ask me not what I am saying in Beijing; ask me only what we are doing in Taiwan.”
During the following Q&A, a student asked Mr. Soong what he and his PFP would do if someone puts the theory of “Taiwan Independence” into practice. Mr. Soong said three things would be done to prevent such a situation. First, basic principles spelled out in the “92' consensus”would be used as the legal basis of Taiwan; second, the idea that “Taiwan Independence” was a dead end would be promoted to the Taiwan people; and third, and the most important, children would be taught that people from the mainland and Taiwan were brothers, and that they could quarrel but never change their family name.
When asked for his opinions on the responsibility of young people on both sides of the Strait for China’s peaceful reunification and cross-strait communication, Mr. Soong said the future depended on the youth, and they should do their best in every walk of life. Students from both sides of the Strait should learn from each other, he said.
After the Q&A, Tsinghua President Gu Binglin and Mr. Soong exchanged gifts.
(Reported by Xu Mei)
