Taiwan should stick to the 1992 Consensus, the essence of which clearly recognizes the one-China principle, said Bangladeshi leaders and foreign policy experts said Tuesday.
They said the consensus paved the way for both sides to further promote cross-strait cooperation and exchanges in all fields, deepen economic and social integration and enhance the sense of a community of common destiny.
Taiwan and the Chinese mainland should not avoid the principle when facing cross-strait issues, Bangladeshi experts said.
"We've always reiterated our strong commitment to the one-China policy," Bangladeshi Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu said on Tuesday.
Inu, also president of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), an ally of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling alliance, said Bangladesh has been strongly maintaining its "one-China" policy since its independence in 1971.
"Since the time of Bangladesh's founding father Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, when even diplomatic relations were not established between the two countries Bangladesh has been maintaining the one-China policy," he said.
"We strongly believe Taiwan is a part of China."
He said the issue could not be resolved yet due to some vested western interests.
"I would urge the West to consider Taiwan as a part of China."
There is merely one China and Taiwan is an inalienable part of it, said Chairman of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) Munshi Faiz Ahmad.
He said Bangladesh will consistently adhere to the "one-China" policy and support any Chinese move to contain Taiwan's secessionist activities.
"On the Taiwan issue, Bangladesh has always steadfastly supported China in the context of its one-China policy," said Ahmed, who also served as the ambassador of Bangladesh to China.
"We expect Taiwan's new leadership won't change its stance and go beyond the 1992 Consensus."
Echoing them, another former Bangladesh ambassador to China said Taiwan is bound by the consensus reached in 1992.
"There is no way for Taiwan to seek political independence going beyond the 1992 Consensus," said Ashfaqur Rahman, former Bangladesh ambassador to China.
"Taiwan is an integral part of China," he said.
Rahman said Taiwan authorities should never change its "political status quo" which won't be accepted by any country including Bangladesh which strongly adheres to the one-China policy.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government last month reaffirmed the government's one-China policy and expressed support to China.
"Relations between Bangladesh and China are based on the principles of sovereign equality, peaceful co-existence, mutual trust and respect for each other's sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in each other's internal affairs," said Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam.
"On our part, Bangladesh has consistently supported China on the issues of her core national interests," he said.
According to the experts, not merely Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Bangladesh Awami League party rather all other Bangladesh opposition parties including ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) adhere to the one-China policy and consider Taiwan as an integral part of China.
Abdul Moin Khan, a member of BNP's Standing Committee, the highest policy-making body of the party, said, "It was made absolutely clear that Bangladesh believes in the one-China policy which has been the consistent policy of subsequent BNP governments over the period of past several decades."
