Peaceful reunification would bring stronger guarantees and greater development for cultural life in the Taiwan region, Zhang Han, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.
Zhang said that Chinese culture is the "root and soul" shared by compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and that only by working together can cross-Strait cultural ties deepen and grow.
"Peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems is the best way to achieve national reunification, and it best meets the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation, including our compatriots in Taiwan. After reunification, backed by a powerful motherland, the intellectual and cultural life of the Taiwan compatriots will be better safeguarded, further developed and rapidly elevated," Zhang said.
"First, cultural roots will return to their true home. Chinese culture is the root and attribution of the hearts of compatriots on both sides of the Strait. After peaceful reunification, fine traditional Chinese culture, historical memory and national spirit will be better inherited and promoted in Taiwan," she said.
"Second, the space for cultural development will be greatly expanded, and cultural undertakings will further flourish. After peaceful reunification, Taiwan's social creativity in culture will be fully unleashed," Zhang said.
"Third, political manipulation will be cast off, and the cultural lives will become clearer and more tranquil. For a long time, Taiwan's cultural-ethical sector has been seriously disrupted by partisan strife and ideological confrontation, with education, media and public opinion deliberately distorted and fiercely divided. After peaceful reunification, political manipulation will be redressed, and society on the island will shift from confusion and anxiety to calm and composure, bringing stability to people's hearts and harmony to society," said the spokeswoman.
"And fourth, national dignity [of compatriots in Taiwan] will be elevated, and their confidence will be boosted. After peaceful reunification, wherever they are in the world, they will have the strong motherland as a solid backing. They will no longer be pawns in international rivalry, nor fear being looked down upon by outsiders. Instead, they will stand tall and proud as upright Chinese," she said.
Taiwan's cultural future tied to peaceful reunification: mainland spokeswoman
