The People's Liberation Army responded for the first time yesterday to Taiwan's request that more than 1,000 missiles targeting the island be withdrawn, saying their removal could be considered if the 'one-China' principle was upheld.
'It's not difficult for [Beijing] to remove missiles if both parties stick to the 'one-China' policy,' Senior Colonel Geng Yansheng , a spokesman for the defence ministry in Beijing told Taiwanese reporters during a press conference. 'Under the 'one-China' policy, [compatriots] on both sides are part of the same family.'
The 'one-China' principle, agreed to at a cross-strait meeting in Hong Kong in 1992, is an understanding that there is only 'one China', but that each side has its own interpretation of what that constitutes.
Geng said Beijing would agree to discuss military security and mutual trust across the Taiwan Strait 'at a proper time' to maintain stability in the region, Xinhua reported.
'Discussions would focus on the establishment of military security and mutual-trust mechanisms.'
Geng said preparations for the cross-strait security mutual trust framework 'should start from the easy topics and go through step by step'. He added: 'Peaceful development of cross-strait relations conforms to the fundamental interests of people on both sides and represents their common aspirations.'
The military's statement was the first response to Taiwan's request that the missiles be dismantled, which Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou, who has been conducting a Beijing-friendly policy, has suggested since taking office in May 2008.
