Taiwan opposition lawmakers begin historic China visit
Taiwan opposition lawmakers begin historic China visit
BEIJING (Reuters): Lawmakers from two Taiwan opposition
parties arrived in China on Thursday for unofficial talks on
expanding transport links between the island and the Communist-
run mainland.
The parties, the Nationalists and the New Party broadly share
Beijing's goal of reunifying Taiwan and China to end an
estrangement that began when the Chinese civil war ended in
Communist victory in 1949.
The visits by the two parties come two days after the first
legal trip to the Chinese mainland by Taiwanese boats in 51
years.
"At a time when the two sides are unable to break their
deadlock, we hope this visit will help promote better
understanding between the two sides," said Nationalist lawmaker
Her Jyh-huei on arrival at Beijing airport.
Her's delegation of 31 Nationalists and a New Party group of
four lead by legislator Fung Hu-hsiang are scheduled to meet
Chinese aviation, postal and trade officials for discussions on
establishing direct links across the Taiwan Strait.
They will also meet top Communist officials, possibly
including powerful Vice Premier Qian Qichen.
China has refused to deal with the seven-month-old government
of President Chen Shui-bian, who Beijing views with deep
suspicion because his Democratic Progressive Party champions
Taiwan independence.
Instead, to put pressure on Chen, Beijing has courted Taiwan's
business community, which has more than $40 billion invested in
China and seeks more liberal transport arrangements with the
mainland.
Two passenger boats, accompanied by a freighter, brought
delegations from the nearby Taiwan-held islands of Matsu and
Quemoy on Tuesday.
They were the first vessels to take advantage of Taipei's
scrapping of a ban since 1949 on direct passage to the Chinese
mainland.
The travelers from Taiwan were given a cordial welcome in
Fujian, but Beijing has avoided expressing enthusiasm for the
limited connections, known as the "three small links".
China is holding out for "three big links" -- full trade,
transport and postal links between the mainland and Taiwan -- it
hopes will help lead to Taiwan reunifying with China.
Beijing dismissed the "small links" as "utterly inadequate",
but has given Taipei's plan grudging support.
Her told reporters he believed full links "can promote the
growth of regular trade between the two sides".
Trade between the rivals must now go through Hong Kong or
other areas.
Beijing views Taiwan as a breakaway province and has
threatened to invade the island if it declares independence or
drags its feet on reunification talks.
Official contact between the two sides has been frozen since
July 1999, when then Taiwan president Lee Teng-hui angered China
by demanding political parity.
China has made resumption of contacts conditional on Chen's
acceptance of Beijing's "one China principle", which holds that
Taiwan and the mainland are part of a single China.
Chen has resisted that demand lest it commit the self-
governing island to reunification. Reunification is anathema to
Chen's party and not widely supported by the Taiwan public, who
want better ties with China but favor the status quo.
Chen's opponents want reunification, but not necessarily on
Beijing's terms or under a Communist government. Despite the
chill in official ties, cross-Strait contacts have developed
apace.
Shanghai's vice mayor Feng Guoqin will visit Taiwan next week
in a non-official capacity, an official at Shanghai's Taiwan
Affairs Office said on Thursday.
He said the vice mayor would go to Taipei on Jan. 9 for a
week-long visit to meet counterparts in the field of social work.