Wang Daohan: mainland's top cross-Straits negotiator
By Xing Zhigang (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-12-26 05:27

Wang remembered for enhancing ties

Condolences and tributes have been pouring in from around the mainland and across the Taiwan Straits following the death of Wang Daohan, the mainland's top negotiator with Taiwan, who helped open the door to cross-Straits talks in the early 1990s.

Wang, president of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), passed away in Shanghai on Saturday at 90.

Wang Daohan

Born in 1915 in East China's Anhui Province, Wang served as secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and vice-mayor and mayor of Shanghai between 1980 and 1986.

In December 1991, he took over the presidency of the ARATS, a semi-official body for dealing with cross-Straits ties in the absence of official links between the two sides.

In April 1993, Wang and Koo Chen-fu, then chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), held the first ever cross-Straits high-level, non-governmental talks since 1949 in Singapore.

In October 1998, they held the second talks in Shanghai and reached a four-point consensus involving cross-Straits dialogue on political issues.

The landmark Wang-Koo meetings were considered milestones in cross-Straits relations by starting rapprochement between the mainland and Taiwan.

The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the mainland's top government body in charge of cross-Straits ties, told China Daily yesterday that it would hold a memorial service for Wang at its office today. The service is open to the public.

On Saturday, leaders of three major opposition parties in Taiwan offered their deep condolences over Wang's death while hailing his great contribution to the development of cross-Straits ties.

Wang played an important role in promoting cross-Straits relations and made great contributions to the development of peaceful exchanges across the Taiwan Straits, said Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou in his message of condolence to the ARATS. KMT honorary chairman Lien Chan praised Wang as a model for successors in dealing with cross-Straits ties.

James Soong, chairman of the People First Party (PFP), and New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming also expressed their appreciation and admiration for Wang's efforts to push for better cross-Straits ties.

Taiwan's SEF also sent a letter of consolation to the ARATS on Saturday, expressing deep sorrow at Wang's death.

The SEF would like to send a representative to Wang's funeral if his family allows, said You Ying-lung, secretary-general of the SEF.

COMMENTARY:Wang remembered for pursuing peace

Wang Daohan, the mainland's top negotiator with Taiwan, passed away on Saturday at the age of 90 in Shanghai, almost exactly a year after the death of his Taiwanese counterpart Koo Chen-fu, who died of cancer on January 3.

Wang's death marks the end of the "Wang-Koo Era" of cross-Straits relations. Having successfully opened the door to discussions and started rapprochement between the mainland and Taiwan, Wang and Koo left behind their hopes for reconciliation across the Straits.

As a veteran revolutionary of the Communist Party of China, Wang previously served in senior Party and government posts as secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CPC, vice-mayor and mayor of Shanghai. But he will be best remembered for his historic contribution to promoting peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.

In December 1991, Wang took up the presidency of the Association for Relations Across Taiwan Straits (ARATS), the mainland's semi-official body for dealing with cross-Straits ties due to the absence of official links between the two sides.

Under the leadership of Wang and his Taiwanese counterpart Koo, chairman of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), negotiators from both sides reached the 1992 Consensus in November of that year. According to the informal agreement, both sides should adhere to the one-China principle, but with different interpretations of the political meaning of "one China."

The consensus paved the way for the landmark talks between Wang and Koo in April 1993 in Singapore, known as the Wang-Koo meeting. These were the first high-level, non-government talks between the mainland and Taiwan since 1949.

In October 1998, Wang and Koo held a second round of talks in Shanghai and reached a four-point consensus involving cross-Straits dialogue on political matters.

The two Wang-Koo meetings played a significant role in pushing forward cross-Straits ties and strengthening bilateral exchanges, raising hopes of an early reunification.

Regrettably, Wang's planned visit to the island for his third meeting with Koo had to be put off indefinitely after former Taiwan leader Lee Teng-hui introduced his notorious "two states" theory in July 1999 to define cross-Straits ties as a state-to-state relationship.

Since Chen Shui-bian of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party came into power in May 2000, the Taiwan authorities have gone further to promote "Taiwan independence" and fuel tensions in the Straits.

Chen's push for independence has killed all chances of resuming the talks between the ARATS and SEF. Now, given the deaths of both Wang and Koo, their wish for breaking the cross-Straits political stalemate has to live on with their successors.

Wang was comforted in his final days by positive developments in cross-Straits relations such as the mainland visits by Taiwan's main opposition parties. He personally contributed a lot to encouraging changes by advising Beijing's top leadership to introduce more pragmatic and flexible policies towards Taiwan, which demonstrated Beijing's sincerity in improving cross-Straits ties, and was widely hailed by the Taiwanese public.

At his last public appearance on May 8, when he met Taiwan's People First Party Chairman James Soong in Shanghai, Wang expressed his hope for restarting cross-Straits talks on the basis of the 1992 Consensus and moving bilateral ties towards a win-win road of peaceful development and co-operation.

We hope the successors of Wang and Koo, as well as top leaders on both sides, will be able to call on political wisdom and far-sightedness to achieve long-term peace, stability and development across the Straits. This will be the best way to remember the two respected men.