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PacNet #6 – Cross-Strait Relations: Ma’s “Three No’s”

Koumintang (KMT) candidate Ma Ying-jeou has proclaimed a “three no’s” policy – no unification, no independence, no use of force – in outlining his planned approach to cross-Strait relations should he win the March 22 Taiwan presidential election. This is a clever take-off on the PRC’s long-standing “three no’s”: no Taiwan independence; no “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan”; and no Taiwan membership in organizations where statehood is required. Ma’s construct is much more thoughtful and positively oriented; it appears aimed at reassuring three main audiences: the people of Taiwan, the People’s Republic of China, and the United States and international community in general.