Drafting the Basic Provisions for a Bicoastal Chinese Peace Agreement: A Preliminary Proposal

Abstract

Abstract The relationship between Taiwan and mainland China is “intra-national interstate relations or transpolital relations,” and signing a peace agreement seems necessary. There is a strong desire among the people of the Republic of China on Taiwan to maintain peace and tranquillity in the Taiwan Strait, The Taiwanese people also find that policies fostering the beliefs that “Chinese people won't attack Chinese people” and “national reconciliation” match their basic interests in sharing Chinese sovereignty and gradually moving towards integration with the mainland people. After describing the peace agreement process between Taipei and Beijing, this research affirms that the core of a peace agreement should be arms control. In this paper an attempt is made to draft a bicoastal Chinese peace agreement from Taipei's perspective. The draft agreement consists of a preamble and eleven provisions. Provision II, for example, states the following: “Under the principle of sharing sovereignty, both sides of the Taiwan Strait would not invade the other's land (as opposed to territory) under jurisdiction nor interfere in each other's internal affairs.” As another example, Provision III stipulates, “To avoid military confrontation, a buffer zone will be designated by both sides of the Taiwan Strait.” The final section discusses how the United States would regard bicoastal Chinese arms control. Taipei must make sure that the outcomes of any arms control agreement with the mainland not threaten Taiwan's sovereign existence.