1992 Consensus

Notion in the relations across the Strait of Taiwan May 2024 九二共識 九二共识 Nine-Two Consensus Jiǔ-Èr Gòngshí Chiu³-Êrh⁴ Kung⁴-shih² gau2 ji6 gung6 sik1 Kiú-jī Kiōng-sek The 1992 Consensus is a political term referring to the alleged outcome of a meeting in 1992 between the semi-official representatives of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-led People's Republic of China (PRC) in mainland China and the Kuomintang (KMT)-led Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan. The consensus is often credited with establishing a diplomatic foundation for semi-official cross-strait exchanges beginning in the early 1990s and accepting it is a precondition set by the PRC for engaging in cross-strait dialogue.Grossman Derek Is the '1992 Consensus' Fading Away in the Taiwan Strait? https://www.rand.org/blog/2020/06/is-the-1992-consensus-fading-away-in-the-taiwan-strait.html RAND Corporation 3 June 2020 10 March 2021Derek Grossman Millan Brandon Alexander Taiwan's KMT May Have a Serious '1992 Consensus' Problem https://www.rand.org/blog/2020/09/taiwans-kmt-may-have-a-serious-1992-consensus-problem.html Rand Corporation 25 September 2020 11 March 2021 Whether the meetings truly resulted in a consensus is disputed within the ROC. There was never any formal agreement or declaration on both sides acknowledging the "consensus". The KMT understanding of the consensus is "one China, different interpretations" (zh-TW 一中各表, 一個中國各自表述), i.e. that the ROC and PRC "agree" that there is One China, but disagree about what "China" means (i.e. ROC vs. PRC). The PRC's position is that there is one China (including Taiwan), of which the PRC is the sole legitimate representative, and does not formally acknowledge the term "with differing interpretations", repeatedly omitting the phrase in official documents.https://www.storm.mg/article/301816 新華社發佈報導禁用詞：「中華民國、臺灣政府」通通不准用，「九二共識」不可提「一中各表」 Xinhua News Agency publishes report on banned terms: "Republic of China", "Taiwan government" are both not allowed to be used. The "1992 consensus" cannot mention "One China, Separate Interpretation". zh 2017-07-20 2018-05-14 It views the 1992 Consensus as meaning "both sides of the strait belong to one China and will make joint efforts to seek national reunification". This discrepancy has been criticized by Taiwan's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which has been the ruling party since 2016. The DPP has stated that the meetings never truly achieved any "consensus," therefore never acknowledged its existenceChen Yu-Jie Cohen Jerome A. China-Taiwan relations re-examined: the "1992 consensus" and Cross-Strait agreement https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1039&context=alr Penn Carey Law: Legal Scholarship Repository University of Pennsylvania Law School 2019 20 July 2024 and also rejects any claim that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are "One China."https://www.mac.gov.tw/en/News_Content.aspx?n=BEC36A4A0BB0663C&sms=BF821F021B282251&s=DC2AE73162A42D37 The DPP Administration's Logic and Policy on China Mainland Affairs Council 10 December 2022 10 December 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221210113902/https://www.mac.gov.tw/en/News_Content.aspx?n=BEC36A4A0BB0663C&sms=BF821F021B282251&s=DC2AE73162A42D37 live Despite political divisions in Taiwan, the Constitution of the Republic of China still reflects the original Kuomintang-era position that both Taiwan and mainland China are part of one China under the government of the Republic of China. This constitutional framework has not been formally amended and stands in contrast to the Democratic Progressive Party's Taiwan-centered policy, which regards Taiwan and the mainland as separate entities,2025-06-06 Talking Points: What Does ROC Law Say About Taiwan? https://usali.org/publications/talking-points-what-does-roc-law-say-about-taiwan-wk6w8 2025-06-15 U.S.-Asia Law Institute en-USMacLeod Andrew 2022-07-12 When people say the West should support Taiwan, what exactly do they mean? http://theconversation.com/when-people-say-the-west-should-support-taiwan-what-exactly-do-they-mean-186744 2025-06-15 The Conversation en-USDerek Grossman, Brandon Alexander Millan Taiwanese Presidents Will Not and Can Not Unilaterally Change Taiwan's Status https://thediplomat.com/2021/09/taiwanese-presidents-will-not-and-can-not-unilaterally-change-taiwans-status/ 25 September 2020 2025-06-15 thediplomat.com en-US but it also contradicts the PRC's interpretation of the consensus who claim itself as the sole legitimate government of the whole of China and conflating it with the one China principle.Grossman Derek Millan Brandon Alexander Taiwan's KMT May Have a Serious '1992 Consensus' Problem https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2020/09/taiwans-kmt-may-have-a-serious-1992-consensus-problem.html 25 September 2020 9 July 2025 RAND Corporation ...First, it is hard for the KMT to credibly claim “different interpretations” on the 1992 Consensus. Up until January 2019, Beijing, though it obviously disagreed with the KMT position, generally allowed the party to verbalize its view unchallenged. Both sides benefited from the arrangement. The KMT could uphold the consensus as evidence that it was more responsible than the DPP to broker and keep the peace, while Beijing did not have to worry about Taiwan drifting away toward independence if the KMT kept winning elections. But as China's strength and confidence have continued to increase, especially over the last decade, Beijing has become less willing to allow for ambiguity. In a watershed moment on January 2, 2019, Xi commemorated the 40th anniversary of China's “Message to Compatriots in Taiwan” by dispensing with the notion that the 1992 Consensus allowed for “different interpretations” of One China. Instead, he equated it exclusively with the “One China Principle.” Xi simultaneously emphasized “One Country, Two Systems”—envisioning One China, but with different governments in Beijing and Taipei—as the future cross-Strait political framework. His speech likely caught the KMT off guard as it was forced to immediately disavow One Country, Two Systems. Critics contend that the term "1992 Consensus" was not actually used at the time of the 1992 meeting. Instead, it was coined later, in April 2000 by Su Chi, a former National Security Council secretary-general.Wang Chris Tsai details DPP's cross-strait policies Taipei Times 1 2011-08-24 https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2011/08/24/2003511508Wan-li Liu Yong-ching Hsu 2026-08-09 Taiwan never independent: KMT's Cheng https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/08/09/2003862186 2026-08-10 Taipei Times The so-called “1992 consensus,” a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000... Former ROC President Lee Teng-hui, a Kuomintang (KMT) leader during his 1988–2000 term, expressed skepticism about the 1992 Consensus in 2006.Shih Hsiu-chuan Su Chi admits the '1992 consensus' was made up https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2006/02/22/2003294106 22 February 2006 Taipei Times 10 Jun 2017 Later, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) President Tsai Ing-wen, who served from 2016 to 2024, criticized the consensus in a January 2019 speech, associating it with the PRC's "one country, two systems" framework.Feng John Taiwan's Pro-China Opposition Suffers Identity Crisis as Chief Admits Beijing Threat https://www.newsweek.com/taiwans-pro-china-opposition-suffers-identity-crisis-chief-admits-beijing-threat-1575078 10 March 2021 Newsweek History 1992–1999: Lee presidency On 1 August 1992, the ROC's National Unification Council passed the "Definition of One China Resolution," stating: "The two sides of the Taiwan Strait uphold the One China principle, but the interpretations of the two sides are different ... Our side believes that one China should mean the Republic of China, established in 1912 and existing today, and its sovereignty extends throughout China, but its current governing authority is only over Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matzu. Admittedly, Taiwan is part of China, but the mainland is also a part of China."Chen Dean P. China under Xi Jinping: A New Assessment Leiden University Press 2024 9789087284411 Fang Qiang Xi Jinping and the Derailment of the KMT-CCP "1992 Consensus" Li Xiaobing229 This resolution provided the basis for a series of talks between the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) of the Republic of China (ROC).229 In November 1992, a meeting between ARATS and SEF occurred in British Hong Kong. At the time of the meeting, Hong Kong was under British rule and therefore considered neutral territory by both sides.April 2021 The conclusion they reached was intended as a means of side-stepping the conflict over the political status of Taiwan.March 2021 On 1 November 1992, SEF issued a press release stating that "each side expresses its own interpretation verbally in order to solve this sticky problem of [One China] and thereby reaffirmed the August 1st NUC resolution as SEF's interpretation of One China."229 ARATS telephoned SEF and stated that it "fully respected and accepted" Taipei's proposal to use verbal declarations for each side's position on this issue.229 On 16 November, ARATS sent a letter to SEF formally confirming that position and stating, "both sides of the strait uphold the principle of one China, and actively seek national unification, but the political interpretation of the one China will not be referred to in the cross-strait negotiations on functional issues."229–230 As a result of the 1992 meeting, ARATS Chairman Wang Daohan and SEF Chairman Koo Chen-fu met in Singapore on 27 April 1993, in what became known as the Wang-Koo summit. They concluded agreements on document authentication, postal transfers, and a schedule for future ARATS-SEF meetings. Talks were delayed as tensions rose in the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis, but in October 1998 a second round of Wang-Koo summit were held in Shanghai. Wang and Koo agreed to meet again in Taiwan in the autumn of 1999, but the meeting was called off by the PRC side when then President Lee Teng-hui proposed his Two-states Theory of "special state-to-state relations".230 After Lee began a more independence-oriented policy in the mid-1990s, the PRC began describing "one China, respective interpretations" as a "deliberate distortion" used by independence advocates as a "disguise" for either "two Chinas" or Taiwan's formal separation.230 2000–2008: Chen presidency The leader of the liberal Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Chen Shui-bian made his famous Four Noes and One Without proposal during his campaign in the presidential election in 2000. The proposal did not directly include the 1992 Consensus, but showed an intention to maintain the ambiguous status quo, which reflected largely the idea of the Consensus. The election ended with the first president-elected from the opposition party, and led to a shift of foreign policy. Chen's victory in 2000 prompted former SEF official Su Chi to coin the term "1992 Consensus" in order to capture the broadest consensus between different parties in Taiwan over the outcome of the 1992 meeting. Chen initially expressed some willingness to accept the 1992 Consensus, a precondition set by the PRC for dialogue, but backed down after backlash within his own party.Cheng Allen T. Did He Say 'One China'? http://edition.cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/magazine/2000/0714/nat.taiwan.html https://web.archive.org/web/20210730221230/http://edition.cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/magazine/2000/0714/nat.taiwan.html dead 30 July 2021 11 March 2021 Asiaweek During his presidency, Chen made different statements about the ambiguous status quo and his policy towards PRC, but the government of PRC generally didn't echo any of his speech. Despite the frozen atmosphere between the governments from the two sides of the strait, business and economic interactions thrived in Chen's presidency. In 2005, the 1992 Consensus was invoked by the opposition parties who controlled the parliament. Lien Chan, the chairman of the largest opposition party KMT and James Soong, chairman of another opposition party People First Party (PFP), made separate trips to mainland China to conduct their party-to-party dialog separately with the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) across the strait. Both leaders explicitly endorsed the 1992 Consensus. However, no relevant legislation was made in the parliament for the result of the dialogues.March 2021 2008–2016: Ma presidency The election of Ma Ying-jeou to the presidential office and the victory of KMT in the parliament election saw both sides of the Taiwan strait moving closer. In his inauguration speech on 20 May 2008, Ma stated that both sides of the strait reached a consensus in 1992, which saw "one China with different interpretations" and the ROC would resume talks with the PRC as soon as possible based on the 1992 Consensus.http://www.bcc.com.tw/bcc_event/520/520.htm zh:中華民國第12任總統就職演說全文 Broadcasting Corporation of China zh 2008-05-20 2008-05-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20090330130153/http://www.bcc.com.tw/bcc_event/520/520.htm 2009-03-30 dead In 2008, CCP invited the chairman of KMT, Wu Po-hsiung, to engage in an interparty dialog in Beijing where Wu met the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Hu Jintao on 28 May. After the meeting, the state news agency Xinhua reported that participants in the meeting declared that both sides across the strait will lay aside disputes, and work for a win-win situation on the basis of the 1992 Consensus.http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-05/29/content_8279828.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20090330142746/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-05/29/content_8279828.htm dead 30 March 2009 KMT chairman appeals for more cross-Strait economic, cultural exchanges Xinhua News Agency 2008-05-29 2008-05-30 The semi-governmental dialog between the SEF from Taiwan and the ARATS from China was scheduled to re-open on the basis of the 1992 Consensus, with the first meeting held in June. The first priority for the SEF-ARATS meeting was the establishments of the three links, especially direct flights between mainland China and Taiwan. On 4 July 2008, Weekend direct chartered flights between mainland China and Taiwan commenced subsequent to the semi-official talk in Beijing.September 2026 In an interview by the Mexico-based newspaper El Sol de México on 2 September 2008, Ma was asked about his views on the subject of "two Chinas" and if there is a solution for the sovereignty issues between the two. The ROC President replied that the relations are not between two sovereign states, not between "two Chinas". "It is a special relationship", he said. Ma also stated that the sovereignty issues between the two cannot be resolved at present, and then quoted the 1992 Consensus, as a temporary measure until a solution becomes available.Taiwan and China in "special relations": Ma China Post 2008-09-04 http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/china-taiwan%20relations/2008/09/04/173082/Taiwan-and.htm 4 September 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080906092524/http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/china-taiwan%20relations/2008/09/04/173082/Taiwan-and.htm 6 September 2008 dead The spokesman for the ROC Presidential Office Wang Yu-chi later clarified the President's statement and said that the relations are between two regions of one country, based on the context of ROC Constitution, the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area and the 1992 Consensus.Presidential Office defends Ma Taipei Times 2008-09-05 http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/09/05/2003422339 24 September 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080911200500/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/09/05/2003422339 11 September 2008 live CCP and its leader Hu didn't evaluate any new meaning of the Consensus from the other side of the strait. A phone call between the heads of state of China and United States, the most important ally of Taiwan, occurred in 2008. The English website of Xinhua reported that Hu Jintao told President George W. Bush that it is PRC's "consistent stand that the Chinese Mainland and Taiwan should restore consultation and talks on the basis of the 1992 Consensus, which sees both sides recognize there is only one China, but agree to differ on its definition".Hille Kathrin 3 April 2008 Hopes rise for Taiwan-China dialogue https://www.ft.com/content/2a1e1adc-00c8-11dd-a0c5-000077b07658 Financial Times 6 January 2022 https://archive.today/20220106084016/https://www.ft.com/content/2a1e1adc-00c8-11dd-a0c5-000077b07658 According to a US account of the talks, Mr Hu said: It is China's consistent stand that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan should restore consultation and talks on the basis of 'the 1992 consensus', which sees both sides recognise there is only one China, but agree to differ on its definition. 23 January 2022 live subscription 26 March 2008 Chinese, U.S. presidents hold telephone talks on Taiwan, Tibet https://www.mfa.gov.cn/ce/cgvan//eng/news/t418638.htm Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Vancouverhttp://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080327005800/en/CORRECTED-Press-Briefing-National-Security-Advisor-Stephen#.VUoRqtNViko Press Briefing by National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley on the President's Trip to the NATO Summit White House Press Office Business Wire 2015-09-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20150930143911/http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080327005800/en/CORRECTED-Press-Briefing-National-Security-Advisor-Stephen#.VUoRqtNViko dead He said that it is China's consistent stand that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan should restore consultation and talks on the basis of the 1992 consensus, which sees both sides recognize there is only one China, but agree to differ on its definitions. The Chinese version of the same agency only mentioned that the resumption of the talks should be on the basis of the 1992 Consensus without expanding into the meaning of the Consensus.http://news.xinhuanet.com/tw/2008-03/26/content_7865604.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20080401223404/http://news.xinhuanet.com/tw/2008-03/26/content_7865604.htm dead 1 April 2008 zh:胡锦涛:在"九二共识"基础上恢复两岸协商谈判 zh Xinhua News Agency 2008-03-27 2008-05-30 On 12 January 2011, Xinhua reiterated Beijing's position on this issue by saying that "under which both sides adhere to the One-China Principle", which is a highlight of the first half of the Consensus.http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-01/12/c_13687724.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20121107083009/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-01/12/c_13687724.htm dead 7 November 2012 Chinese spokeswoman stresses importance of '1992 consensus' to improving cross-Strait relations 2011-01-12 2011-09-11 Xinhua News Agency During the cross-strait summit in 2015, the Consensus was stressed by both Ma and Xi Jinping, the successor of Hu Jintao.Bush RIchard C. What the historic Ma-Xi meeting could mean for cross-Strait relations https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2015/11/09/what-the-historic-ma-xi-meeting-could-mean-for-cross-strait-relations/ 10 March 2021 Brookings Institution During the meetings, Ma brought up the second half of the Consensus "different interpretations of one China" in front of the leader of China, but Xi made no remarkable response.Hsu Stacy MAC releases Ma-Xi meeting transcript https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2015/11/10/2003632096 10 March 2021 Taipei Times In August 2011, DPP chair Tsai Ing-wen began to use the term "Taiwan consensus" after she disclosed the point "National Security Strategy and the development of cross-strait trade" (國家安全戰略篇與兩岸經貿發展篇) at the "ten years platform" (十年政綱)."蔡：無92共識 推台灣共識", (in Chinese), Liberty Times, 2011-8-24, retrieved 6 January 2013. Tsai used the term to compete with Ma Ying-jeou's political views for the 2012 Taiwanese presidential election.April 2021 2016–2024: Tsai presidency In her 2016 campaign, Tsai Ing-wen did not challenge the 1992 consensus, but did not explicitly accept it either, referring instead to "existing realities and political foundations".Romberg Alan D. https://www.hoover.org/sites/default/files/clm49ar.pdf The "1992 Consensus"—Adapting to the Future? Hoover Institution 10 March 2021Tsai's inauguration speech 'incomplete test paper': Beijing https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2016/05/21/2003646796 Taipei Times 21 May 2016 10 March 2021 After Tsai's victory in the presidential election of Taiwan, CCP general secretary Xi Jinping stated on 12 March 2016, that the 1992 Consensus was "the greatest common denominator and political bottom line for the peaceful development of cross-strait relations".Zhao Suisheng Suisheng Zhao The Taiwan Question in Xi Jinping's Era: Beijing's Evolving Taiwan Policy and Taiwan's Internal and External Dynamics Routledge 2024 9781032861661 Zhao Suisheng Suisheng Zhao London and New York Is Beijing's Long Game on Taiwan about to End? Peaceful Unification, Brinksmanship, and Military Takeover 10.4324/978100352170913 On 2 January 2019, Xi Jinping marked the 40th Anniversary message to Taiwan compatriots with a long speech calling for the adherence to the 1992 Consensus and vigorously opposing Taiwanese independence.https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2019/01/07/8-key-things-to-notice-from-xi-jinpings-new-year-speech-on-taiwan/ 8 key things to notice from Xi Jinping's New Year speech on Taiwan Bush Richard C. 2019-01-07 Brookings en-US 2019-01-09 He said the political resolution of the Taiwan issue will be the formula used in Hong Kong and Macau, the one country, two systems. The ROC President, Tsai Ing-wen responded to Xi's speech the same day. She stated that "the Beijing authorities' definition of the '1992 Consensus' is 'one China' and 'one country, two systems'", and that "we have never accepted the '1992 Consensus.'" President Tsai issues statement on China's President Xi's "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan" 2018-01-02 https://english.president.gov.tw/News/5621 Tsai later called for the PRC to conduct negotiations with the Taiwanese government to resolve the political status of Taiwan rather than engage in political consultations with individual Taiwanese political parties to advance their reunification goals.https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/2180830/taiwan-president-tsai-ing-wen-open-cross-strait-talks-has-some Taiwan's president open to cross-strait talks, but has some demands 2019-01-05 South China Morning Post en 2019-01-09 Chung Lawrence A January 2020 piece in The Diplomat noted that the CCP, KMT, and DPP were all currently challenging their own conceptions of the 1992 consensus.Liu Zihao Is This the End of the 1992 Consensus? https://thediplomat.com/2020/01/is-this-the-end-of-the-1992-consensus-2/ thediplomat.com The Diplomat 31 January 2020 A task force convened by the Kuomintang's reform committee issued new guidelines on cross-strait relations in June 2020. The task force found that public trust in the consensus had declined due to the actions of Beijing and DPP. The consensus was described as "a historical description of past cross-strait interaction," and the task force proposed that the consensus be replaced with a commitment to "upholding the Republic of China's national sovereignty; safeguarding freedom, democracy and human rights; prioritizing the safety of Taiwan; and creating win-win cross-strait relations."Shih Hsiao-kuang Xie Dennis KMT task force unveils four pillars for stable, peaceful cross-strait relations https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2020/06/20/2003738531 20 June 2020 Taipei Times 20 June 2020 Following the landslide defeat of the KMT in the 2020 Taiwanese presidential election, some commentators speculated that the KMT would remove the 1992 Consensus from the party platform due to its associations with "one country, two systems". However, KMT chairman Johnny Chiang ultimately kept the 1992 Consensus. However, he rejected the "one country, two systems" as a feasible model for Taiwan.Blanchard Ben Lee Yimou Taiwan opposition chief in no rush for China meeting https://www.reuters.com/article/us-taiwan-politics/taiwan-opposition-chief-in-no-rush-for-china-meeting-idUSKCN2AU0IV 11 March 2021 Reuters In 2021, the Taiwan Affairs Office stated that the meaning of the 1992 consensus is "both sides of the strait belong to one China, and work together to strive for national unification".江啟臣提九二共識立基於憲法 國台辦正告KMT：謀統不能模糊 https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/3484715 2021-03-31 Liberty Times 2021-03-31 zh-hant The KMT platform under newly elected chairman Eric Chu also continued to include the 1992 consensus while rejecting "one country, two systems".Wang Cheng-chung Liu Kuan-ting Liu Kay KMT vows to 'defend Taiwan, protect democracy, fight for future' https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202110300015 31 October 2021 Central News Agency (Taiwan) In 2022, Chu called the 1992 Consensus a "'no consensus' consensus."Chin-yeh Chiang Pei-ju Teng '1992 consensus' key to KMT's engagement with Beijing: Eric Chu https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202206070019 focustaiwan.tw 7 June 2022 Focus Taiwan 22 June 2022 Interpretations Kuomintang The KMT understanding of the consensus is "one China, different interpretations" (zh-TW 一中各表, 一個中國各自表述), i.e. that the ROC and PRC "agree" that there is One China, but disagree about what "China" means (i.e. ROC vs. PRC).230229–230 The ambiguity of the 1992 Consensus allows the PRC to claim that both sides of the strait uphold the integrity of one China. On the other side, the same ambiguity allows the ROC to emphasize that it is the only China to which both the mainland and Taiwan belong.230 This facilitated the development of cross-strait relations in the early 1990s.230 Democratic Progressive Party This discrepancy has been criticized by Taiwan's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which has been the ruling party since 2016. The DPP has pointed out that the meetings never truly achieved any "consensus," therefore never acknowledged its existence and also rejects any claim that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are "One China." Tsai believes that the 1992 consensus is solely based on the One-China policy and the desire to preserve it. The DPP further states, that a "consensus" among the Taiwanese people about the "1992 consensus" does not exist. The DPP hopes to get a Taiwan consensus (a consensus amongst the people) to displace the 1992 consensus, which would be ratified by legislation and a referendum. This new consensus should then form the basis for negotiations with the PRC."Tsai details DPP’s cross-strait policies", Taipei Times, 2011-08-24, retrieved 6 January 2013."Liberty Times: Time to formulate 'Taiwan consensus'", Focus Taiwan News Channel, 2011-08-25, retrieved 6 January 2013 Tsai states further that the Taiwan consensus "is not an ordinary problem to be decided by majority", "is not an ordinary legislation or public issue" and "not even a purely domestic problem." Because Taiwan is domestically not united with China and has no consensus on the direction towards China, the Taiwanese government has no basis for negotiations with China. She hopes, that through democratic processes and the Legislative Yuan "with all different political views [we] can find common ground", "[because] that is the true spirit of the Taiwan consensus". Chinese Communist Party The PRC's position is that there is one China (including Taiwan), of which the PRC is the sole legitimate representative, and does not formally acknowledge the term "with differing interpretations", repeatedly omitting the phrase in official documents.The CCP Commemorates the 30th Anniversary of the "1992 Consensus"—and Seeks to Change Its Meaning https://globaltaiwan.org/2022/09/the-ccp-commemorates-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-1992-consensus-and-seeks-to-change-its-meaning/ Global Taiwan Institute 2022-09-21 2025-12-02 en-US John Dotson This was seized upon by critics that the "consensus" was merely a one-sided deal by the KMT. The CCP also rejected any dialogue with any government or party in power that do not accept this "consensus". At the Conference of Global Overseas Chinese for Promoting the Peaceful Reunification of China on 27 August 2022, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the 1992 Consensus, Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee Chairman Wang Yang gave a speech, stating:The core idea of the “1992 Consensus” is that “the two sides of the strait belong to one China, [and both must] commonly strive for national reunification.” The historical significance of the “1992 Consensus” lies in the fact that it laid the political foundation for the development of cross-Strait relations. It is only with this political foundation that we are able to open up cross-Strait consultations and negotiations, move forward with cross-Strait exchanges [between] political parties, and establish institutionalized cross-Strait mechanisms for consultation and contacts between the two sides. The practice of the past 30 years has enlightened us that the “One-China Principle” is [fundamental] for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations. The reason why the “1992 Consensus” is important is that it has clearly defined the fundamental nature of cross-Strait relations: that the mainland and Taiwan belong to the same China, [and] the two sides of the strait [do not represent] state-to-state relations, [and neither are they] “one China, one Taiwan.”Wang added that "It is only with this political foundation that Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly, the International Civil Aviation Conference, and the activities of other such international organizations could be fair and reasonably arranged". Controversies Some pro-independence supporters, such as former President Lee Teng-hui, point to a lack of documentation to contend that the consensus has never existed.Shih Hsiu-chuan Su Chi admits the '1992 consensus' was made up https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2006/02/22/2003294106 22 February 2006 Taipei Times 10 Jun 2017Lee denies existence of '1992 consensus' http://th.gio.gov.tw/show.cfm?news_id=11757 th.gio.gov.tw 2025-12-02 https://web.archive.org/web/20050414181233/http://th.gio.gov.tw/show.cfm?news_id=11757 2005-04-14 The China Post Later, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) President Tsai Ing-wen, who served from 2016 to 2024, criticized the consensus in a January 2019 speech, associating it with the PRC's "one country, two systems" framework. According to Raymond Burghardt, the chair of the American Institute in Taiwan, the United States representative office in Taiwan: "[There was] some language [in the faxes] that overlapped and some language that differed." Then Taiwan and China agreed to conduct dialog based on their statements written in those faxes. "That's what happened. Nothing more or nothing less," Burghardt said, adding that the KMT called this the '1992 Consensus', which was to some extent "confusing and misleading. To me, I'm not sure why you could call that a consensus."https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2006/02/28/2003295010 AIT pans '1992 consensus\' - Taipei Times 28 February 2006 www.taipeitimes.com Public opinion Taiwan In 2018, academics conducted a survey in Taiwan to assess Taiwanese understanding of the 1992 Consensus. They gave respondents four possible meanings of the consensus: Historic: On international affairs, both ROC and PRC claim to represent the whole Chinese people including both mainland and Taiwan. KMT definition: ROC represents Taiwan, PRC represents the mainland, the two governments belong to the same country waiting for unification. Incorrect: ROC represents Taiwan, PRC represents the mainland, the two governments belong to two different countries. PRC definition: PRC represents the whole Chinese people including both mainland and Taiwan, and ROC is the local government. They found that 34% chose the KMT's definition (which was acceptable to 48%), 33% chose the incorrect definition (acceptable to 75%), 17% chose the historic relationship (acceptable to 40%), and 5% chose the PRC definition (acceptable to 10%), and 11% did not respond. Scholarly analysis concluded that there was low public understanding of the meaning of the so-called consensus in Taiwan and that 'Taiwanese people might have supported the Consensus for content that it is not.'Wang Austin Wu Charles K.S. Yeh Yao-Yuan Chen Fang-Yu What Does the 1992 Consensus Mean to Citizens in Taiwan? https://thediplomat.com/2018/11/what-does-the-1992-consensus-mean-to-citizens-in-taiwan/ The Diplomat 10 March 2021Wang Horng-En Yeh Yao-Yuan Wu Charles K. S. Chen Fang-Yu The non-consensus 1992 consensus Asian Politics & Policy 4 April 2021 13 2 212–227 10.1111/aspp.12576 233561191 https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/political_science_articles/230 See also China Taiwan Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area Cross-Strait relations Mutual non-recognition of sovereignty and mutual non-denial of authority to govern One Country on Each Side Taiwan consensus References Consensus Category:Cross-strait relations Consensus Category:1992 in Taiwan Category:2000 neologisms Category:Conservatism in Taiwan Category:Political compromises Category:Chinese nationalism Category:One China