The Guidelines called for the People's Republic of China to democratize and become more developed as the precondition for serious talks about steps toward eventual unification.

[2] The council was suspended and ceased to function in early 2006 during the presidency of Chen Shui-bian, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party which has generally promoted Taiwanese nationalism.

At the same time, in his "Four Noes and One Without" policy, Chen promised not to formally abolish the council or the Guidelines for National Unification, in order to allay international concern about his possible moves toward declaring independence.

In his lunar new year speech in 2006 President Chen Shui-bian instructed the Democratic Progressive Party to begin formal debate on the permanent abolition of the National Unification Council and the guidelines set out therein.

[8] President Chen Shui-bian declared that the Guidelines for National Unification had "ceased to apply" because they had been drawn up by an ad hoc presidential commission in the days before citizens had the right to elect their leader and make their voices effectively heard.