| BEIJING -- A Chinese mainland spokesman said on Wednesday that the mainland will not intervene in the upcoming Taiwan elections and reaffirmed that the "1992 consensus" is an essential premise for developing cross-Strait relations. Yang Yi, a spokesman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks at a regular press meeting, adding that cross-Strait negotiations will not continue if the consensus is denied. Yang stressed that the consensus was reached by organizations authorized by the mainland and Taiwanese authorities to handle cross-Strait issues, not by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Kuomintang. The mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) and Taiwan-based Strais Exchange Foundation (SEF) held talks in Singapore in 1992, leading to the creation of the agreement. The "1992 consensus" serves as a necessary premise and a significant basis for cross-Strait negotiations and peaceful development, Yang noted. The spokesman said regular cross-Strait exchanges have nothing to do with the upcoming Taiwan elections and reaffirmed the mainland's adherence to the principle of not intervening in Taiwan elections.  |