On Behalf of Chairman Lien

On Behalf of Chairman Lien
Translation by Bevin Chu
April 14, 2011
Taipei, Taiwan, ROC

On March 14, 2005, the Mainland authorities passed the "Anti-Secession Law." On Taiwan, the DPP government lodged a strong protest and held a protest march. Tensions across the Taiwan Strait swiftly increased. The two sides found themselves on the brink of conflict. Then KMT Chairman Lien Chan mustered considerable courage. On April 26, he led a delegation to the Mainland, on an eight-day "Journey of Peace." He and CCP General Secretary Hu Jintao held the first official talks between leaders of the two parties in 60 years. They arrived at a shared vision of cross-Strait peace and development, the "Five Lien/Hu Points of Consensus." The eyes of the world were upon them. The ice in the Taiwan Strait melted. Warming relations promised enormous benefits. Cross-strait relations had turned a new page.

The Five Lien/Hu Points of Consensus encompassed political, economic, and social dimensions. They are:

1. Expedite the resumption of cross-Strait consultations and promote the welfare of people on both sides of the Strait. Both parties agree to resume cross-Strait consultations on the basis of parity and the 1992 Consensus, to address their common and respective concerns, and to promote the healthy development of cross-Strait relations.

2. Expedite the termination of hostilities and reach a peace accord. Both parties agree to expedite the formal cessation of cross-Strait hostilities, reach a peace accord, and establish a framework for peaceful and stable cross-Strait relations, including confidence building mechanisms to avoid cross-Strait military conflict.

3. Promote comprehensive cross-Strait economic exchanges, and establish a mechanism to promote economic cooperation. Both parties agree to promote comprehensive cross-Strait economic cooperation and close economic and trade relations. This includes the establishment of three links, i.e., comprehesive, direct, two-way maritime and air transportation links. legal protections for investments and commercial transactions, agricultural and fishery cooperation, the sale of Taiwan agricultural products on the Mainland, improved communications, and joint crime fighting initiatives. Both parties will establish a stable economic cooperation mechanism, resume cross-Strait consultations, and discuss as a matter of priority the possibility of a cross-Strait common market.

4. Discuss Taiwan's participation in international activities -- a matter of concern for the public on Taiwan. Resume cross-Strait consultations, discuss Taiwan's participation in international activities, including Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization. Both parties will work to create the conditions necessary for the eventual settlement of this issue.

5. Establish a party to party communications platform. Both parties agree to establish regular communications between the two parties, including exchange visits between party personnel at all levels, to conduct seminars to facilitate the understanding of cross-Strait issues, to hold consultations on issues of immediate interest to compatriots on both sides of the Strait, to invite people from all walks of life to attend, and to discuss measures to promote closer cross-Strait exchanges.

In August of the same year, the Kuomintang held its Seventeenth National Congress. The Five Lien/Hu Points of Consensus were officially incorporated into the KMT party platform. They became the key to its attempt to return to power.

Following the Lien/Hu Summit, most opinion polls revealed that the public on Taiwan approved of Lien Chan's Journey of Peace. The public approved of the KMT's Five Lien/Hu Points of Consensus, and viewed it as a solid foundation for cross-Strait dialogue. Beginning with the 2006 municipal elections, through the 2008 legislative elections and presidential election, the KMT won landslide victories. The Five Lien/Hu Points of Consensus became an integral part of President Ma Ying-jeou's campaign platform. It also became an important policy objective after the KMT's return to power.

Following the KMT's return to power in May 2008, cross-Strait relations gradually warmed. The SEF and ARATS resumed consultations on the basis of the 1992 Consensus. Over two short years, they convened six meetings. They signed 15 agreements and a joint statement. They implemented many of the items mentioned in the Five Lien/Hu Points of Consensus. These include the three cross-Strait direct links, opening up Taiwan to tourists from the Mainland, recognizing each others' academic qualifications, allowing Mainland students to study on Taiwan, mutual legal assistance, and cross-Strait cooperation in combating crime. They include the cross-strait economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) signed last year. ECFA was undoubtedly an important milestone in cross-Strait economic cooperation. It will also help improve Taiwan's competitiveness in the global market.

The Journey of Peace persuaded Beijing to demonstrate goodwill in response to Taipei's need for greater international breathing space. From 2008 to the present, in his capacity as former Vice President, Lien Chan attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) three years in a row, on behalf of President Ma Ying-jeou. The Republic of China established a new record for the highest level meeting it ever attended. This was an event of great significance. In 2009, the ROC, under the name of "Chinese Taipei," attended the World Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer, helping to ensure the medical rights of its citizens. This was one of the biggest international breakthroughs for the Republic of China since its withdrawal from the United Nations in 1971. Cut-throat competition over diplomatic allies was now a thing of the past. This diplomatic truce, accompanied by stability in the Taiwan Strait, was not a situation that magically appeared overnight. The Journey of Peace was an essential first step.

The pubic on Taiwan has enough wisdom not to be led around the nose by ideology. We all yearn for cross-Strait peace, harmony, and cooperation. When Lien Chan took on cross-Strait relations, he demonstrated not merely vision, but moral courage. He made the decision to walk ahead of the people, to establish conditions that would make possible mutual trust and a win-win relationship between people on both sides of the Strait. As we look back six years at the Journey of Peace, Lien Chan's contribution to cross-Strait peace and development and the well-being of the people is clearer than ever.

Lien Chan, 字Yongping, Tainan, Taiwan. Born on August 27, 1936 in Xi'an, on the Chinese Mainland. Currently Honorary Chairman of the Chinese Nationalist Party.

Lien Chan obtained a Bachelors Degree in Political Science from the University of Taiwan in 1957. He then traveled to the United States for further study. In 1961 he published his thesis on "Land Reform on Taiwan." He received a Masters Degree from the University of Chicago in International Law and Diplomacy. Four years later, he published his thesis, "How the Chinese Communists Denounced Hu Shi." He received a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Chicago. He taught at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Delaware for three years. In 1968, Lien Chan was invited to National Taiwan University, to become a visiting professor of political science. One year later, he was made Chairman of the Political Science Department. He served as Director of the Graduate Institute of Political Science at National Taiwan University until 1974.

Lien Chan served as former Ambassador from the Republic of China to El Salvador, as Secretary of Transportation, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, as Chairman of the Taiwan Provincial Government, as Premier, as the ninth Vice President of the Republic of China, and three terms as Chairman of the KMT.

（連主席推薦函）

大陸當局在二零零五年三月十四日通過《反分裂國家法》，台灣的民進黨政府發動表示強烈抗議的示威大遊行，台海緊張情勢緊急升高，瀕臨衝突邊緣。時任中國國民黨主席連戰以相當大的道德勇氣，決定在四月廿六日率團到大陸進行為期八天的「和平之旅」，並和中共胡錦濤總書記舉行六十年來國共兩黨領導人首次正式會談，達成「兩岸和平發展共同願景」（「連胡五願景」），舉世矚目，對兩岸關係融冰、解凍有極大的幫助，兩岸關係自此邁入歷史新頁。

上述「連胡五願景」涵蓋政治、經濟、社會發展等層面，包括：

1. 促進盡速恢復兩岸談判，共謀兩岸人民福祉。促進兩岸在九二共識的基礎上盡速恢復平等協商，就雙方共同關心和各自關心的問題進行討論，推進兩岸關係良性健康發展。
2. 促進終止敵對狀態，達成和平協議。促進正式結束兩岸敵對狀態，達成和平協議，建構兩岸關係和平穩定發展的架構，包括建立軍事互信機制，避免兩岸軍事衝突。
3. 促進兩岸經濟全面交流，建立兩岸經濟合作機制。促進兩岸展開全面的經濟合作，建立密切的經貿合作關係，包括全面、直接、雙向三通，開放海空直航，加強投資與貿易的往來與保障，進行農漁業合作，解決台灣農產品在大陸的銷售問題，改善交流秩序，共同打擊犯罪，進而建立穩定的經濟合作機制，並促進恢復兩岸協商後優先討論兩岸共同市場問題。
4. 促進協商台灣民眾關心的參與國際活動的問題。促進恢復兩岸協商之後，討論台灣民眾關心的參與國際活動的問題，包括優先討論參與世界衛生組織活動的問題。雙方共同努力，創造條件，逐步尋求最終解決辦法。
5. 建立黨對黨定期溝通平台。建立兩黨定期溝通平台，包括開展不同層級的黨務人員互訪，進行有關改善兩岸關係議題的研討，舉行有關兩岸同胞切身利益議題的磋商，邀請各界人士參加，組織商討密切兩岸交流的措施等。

同年八月，國民黨召開第十七次全國代表大會，「連胡五願景」正式列入國民黨黨綱，成為其尋求重新執政的政策基調。

「連胡會」之後，不僅多數民調均顯示逾五成的台灣人民肯定連戰的「和平之旅」，國民黨以「連胡五願景」作為兩岸對話基礎的政策也受到民眾支持，國民黨從零六年縣市長選舉，到零八年立法委員選舉以及總統大選，都取得壓倒性的勝利。「連胡五願景」不僅是總統馬英九的競選政見，執政後也是重要的施政目標。

國民黨二零零八年五月重新執政後，兩岸關係逐漸緩和，海基、海協兩會在「九二共識」的基礎上恢復制度性協商，以短短兩年餘的時間，已完成了六次會談，簽署十五項協議以及一個共同聲明，落實多項在「連胡五願景」中達成的共識，例如兩岸「三通」、開放陸客來台觀光、兩岸學歷認證、開放陸生來台、司法互助及兩岸共同打擊犯罪等；其中去年簽署「兩岸經濟合作架構協議」（ECFA），無疑是兩岸經濟合作的重要里程碑，也有利於提升台灣在全球市場的競爭力。

「和平之旅」的影響也反映在中共對台灣爭取國際空間的善意上。自二零零八年起至今，連戰以卸任副總統的身分連續三年代表馬英九總統出席亞太經濟合作會議（APEC），創下中華民國歷來與會最高層級的記錄，意義重大。二零零九年，台灣以「中華台北」的名義成為世界衛生大會（WHA）的觀察員，確保台灣人民的醫療人權，這是中華民國自一九七一年退出聯合國之後在國際參與上的重大突破。此外，過去兩岸惡性競爭邦交國數目的現象已不復在，「外交休兵」的成果與其伴隨而來穩定的台海局勢也並非一蹴可幾，「和平之旅」是重要的開端。

台灣人民有智慧，不受意識型態影響，大家都希望兩岸建立和平、和諧與合作關係。連戰對兩岸關係不但具遠見，更有道德勇氣，選擇走在人民之前，為兩岸人民創造互信以及雙贏的有利條件。回顧六年前的「和平之旅」，連戰對兩岸今日和平發展以及確保台灣人民的福祉功不可沒，爰鄭重推薦。

連戰，字永平，台灣台南市人，一九三六年八月廿七日出生於中國大陸西安市，現為中國國民黨榮譽黨主席。

連戰一九五七年取得台灣大學政治系學士學位後，赴美國深造。一九六一年以論文《台灣的土地改革》取得美國芝加哥大學國際公法與外交碩士，四年後以論文《中共如何批鬥胡適》獲得芝加哥大學政治學博士學位。隨後他在美國任教於威斯康辛大學和康乃迪克大學達三年多。一九六八年，連戰受邀回國任台大政治系客座教授，一年後聘為台大政治系主任、台大政治研究所所長，直至一九七四年。

連戰曾任為中華民國駐薩爾瓦多大使、交通部部長、外交部部長、台灣省政府主席、行政院院長、第九任中華民國副總統、第三任中國國民黨主席等職。