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- The MAC welcomes Hong Kong’s setting up of a representative office in Taiwan and will render assistance if needed
- Improvement of cross-strait relations is the responsibility of both sides; it is hoped that mainland China will remove its deployed missiles targeting Taiwan
- The MOEA has reviewed the issues involving Taiwanese businessmen who have violated the stipulations to make Mainland-bound investments
- Taiwan hopes that economic criminals will be repatriated based on the agreement on joint fight against crime to be signed by both sides
- The publicity short film made by the MAC is aimed at enabling the public to gain understanding of the government’s mainland China policy and administrative principles
- The ECFA draft is not yet completed by the MOEA
- MAC Minister will attend the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce conference in Bali to explain the government’s mainland China policy to Taiwanese businessmen
- Cross-strait negotiations on Taiwan’s participation in the WHA will be taken up by the government’s special task force
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MAC Regular Press Briefing
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Briefer : Johnnason Liu, Deputy Minister
Date : March 26, 2009
Location : Taipei |
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
The MAC welcomes Hong Kong’s setting up of a representative office in Taiwan and will render assistance if needed
QUESTION: Liu Zhaojia, chief advisor to the central policy group of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government, indicated that the HKSAR government has been studying the issue of setting up a representative office in Taiwan based on its authority. What is the opinion and stance of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC)?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU:
■ In October 16 of last year, the government already approved the application of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council to set up a representative office in Taiwan. We believe that at the same time when cross-strait relations are experiencing active and positive development, Hong Kong must also engage in closer and more formal exchanges with Taiwan. We hope that the HKSAR government will pragmatically face up to the actual needs in bilateral exchanges and consider setting up a representative office in Taiwan.
■ With regard to the HKSAR government’s study on the setting up of such a representative office in Taiwan, the MAC expresses its cordial welcome and will extend the necessary assistance depending on their actual needs.
Improvement of cross-strait relations is the responsibility of both sides; it is hoped that mainland China will remove its deployed missiles targeting Taiwan
QUESTION: The U.S. Department of Defense released its report on the “Military Power of the People’s Republic of China 2009” today. What is the MAC’s opinion?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU:
■ The government’s mainland China policy abides by the principle of “putting Taiwan first for the benefit of the people” and the ideal of “no unification, no independence, and no use of force” as stated by President Ma Ying-jeou during his presidential inauguration, in order to preserve and consolidate the status quo of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and to devote efforts to the peaceful exchanges across the Strait, cross-strait economic and trade development, as well as positive interaction between both sides. It will also facilitate both sides to shelve controversies and to actively promote the institutionalized negotiations and interaction between the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) under the pre-conditions of “security, dignity, and prosperity,” in order to pursue peace and prosperity and a mutually beneficial win-win situation between both sides of the Strait.
■ However, the improvement and easing of cross-strait relations is the joint responsibility of both sides. The MAC hopes that the Mainland authorities will remove the ballistic missiles targeting Taiwan, so that genuine peace and stability will be resumed in the Taiwan Strait region. Only in this way will a new era that embodies a mutually beneficial win-win situation across the Taiwan Strait be created.
The MOEA has reviewed the issues involving Taiwanese businessmen who have violated the stipulations to make Mainland-bound investments
QUESTION: Due to his violation of the stipulations concerning the 40 percent ceiling on Mainland-bound investments, former Sampo Corporation Chairman Chen Sheng-Tien is being wanted by the prosecution. Today he has returned to Taiwan on his own initiative to face prosecution. How will the government handle this case and other similar violations cases involving Taiwanese businessmen?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU: Based on our understanding, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has reviewed the issues involving the Mainland-bound investments by Taiwanese businessmen. We believe that the MOEA will deal with this case by reference to its previous approaches to handling such cases and will actively plan the direction of its future program to encourage Taiwanese businessmen to redirect their investments to Taiwan.
Taiwan hopes that economic criminals will be repatriated based on the agreement on joint fight against crime to be signed by both sides
QUESTION: Both sides are going to negotiate on the issue of joint fight against crime during the Third Chiang-Chen Talks. Will the ROC side provide a list of the economic criminals to mainland China and request their assistance in repatriating these people?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU: Regarding the individuals who are wanted for arrest by the prosecution and investigation agencies as well as the courts and who are economic criminals probably escaping to the Mainland Area, we have continually requested the SEF to inform the Mainland side of the arrest warrant issued for these criminals and other official letters of request for repatriation assistance. We believe that once both sides have smoothly signed an agreement on the joint fight against crime, these economic criminals we will be repatriates to Taiwan at the soonest possible time and in a positive manner.
The publicity short film made by the MAC is aimed at enabling the public to gain understanding of the government’s mainland China policy and administrative principles
QUESTION: The MAC minister appeared some days ago in a short film shot on an outside location. What are the topic and contents of this short film? How much is the budget?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU:
■ The MAC is shooting a publicity short film. The main purpose is to enable the public to gain full understanding that the government’s mainland China policy upholds the principle of “putting Taiwan first for the benefit of the people” and that it is the government’s absolute position to safeguard national sovereignty and security. Institutionalized cross-strait negotiations have positive and beneficial effects on the country, the people, and cross-strait relations. The public need not worry that negotiations of this kind will undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty and security.
■ The short film is being made in three languages: Mandarin, Taiwanese, and Hakka. The budget includes production costs and access fees. The Government Information Office will assist with film distribution, so that the costs will be reduced.
The ECFA draft is not yet completed by the MOEA
QUESTION: According to media reports, relevant persons believe that the MOEA already has completed the initial framework for the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, so that both sides of the Strait can exchange views on this matter. Will the ECFA draft be shown to the mainland Chinese authorities prior to the holding of the Third Chiang-Chen Talks?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU: Based on our understanding, the original intention of SEF Chairman Chiang Pin-kung was that the MOEA could transmit a copy of the draft to the ARATS through the SEF if the MOEA has already finalized the relevant contents of the ECFA. But he did not say that the MOEA has already completed the ECFA draft.
MAC Minister will attend the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce conference in Bali to explain the government’s mainland China policy to Taiwanese businessmen
QUESTION: Aside from attending the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce conference in Bali next week, does she have other engagements?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU: The main purpose of the MAC minister’s trip to Bali is to attend the conference hosted by the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce to expound on the government’s mainland China policy and other relevant issues. If there are other matters, I believe that she will make a public explanation after she returns from the trip.
Cross-strait negotiations on Taiwan’s participation in the WHA will be taken up by the government’s special task force
QUESTION: President Ma has indicated that the issue on Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA) will be discussed overseas next month. Will the MAC participate in the discussion?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU:
■ The government has set up a special task force to address the issue on Taiwan’s participation in the WHA, and the MAC’s representative will serve on the task force. The MAC always sends its representative to assist with any matter that involves cross-strait affairs. The government’s operating mechanism has always been this way.
■ The responsible window of such a special task force will be the competent authority, which is either the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Department of Health.