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- Building of the Jindeng Bridge was proposed by Kinmen County government; President Ma was just concerned about the progress of the CEPD’s assessment of this case
- Chinese dove tree is grown at a forestry testing site; when the Formosan serow and the Formosan sika deer can be brought to the Mainland requires further understanding
- To facilitate Mainland tourist visits to Taiwan, it is hoped that the Mainland side will simplify the administrative procedures and increase the number of tour operators
- Cross-strait exchanges between officials continue to be carried out
- Taiwan can render special assistance to Amway travel group visiting Taiwan for sightseeing
- It is hoped that the SEF and the ARATS will commence negotiations on the four authorized issues after the Lunar New Year holidays
- The MAC will continue to show concern over the subsequent handling of the forced repatriation of Mainland spouse Yi Huajuan
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MAC Regular Press Briefing
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Briefer: Johnnason Liu, Deputy Minister
Date: February 5, 2009
Location: Taipei |
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Building of the Jindeng Bridge was proposed by Kinmen County government; President Ma was just concerned about the progress of the CEPD’s assessment of this case
QUESTION: According to media reports, President Ma Ying-jeou gave instructions regarding the submission of an assessment report on the building of the Jindeng Bridge as soon as possible. What information does the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) have on this matter?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU:
■ The report that President Ma Ying-jeou gave instructions regarding the building of the Jindeng Bridge across the Strait is entirely false. When President Ma visited Kinmen on August 23 last year, the Kinmen County government proposed and arranged a briefing for him on the possible future route of the Jindeng Bridge. After the briefing, President Ma consulted with the various ministries and finally instructed the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) to carry out a comprehensive assessment. As to the feasibility and how to build such a bridge, President Ma did not give any concrete instructions.
■ The CEPD was supposed to submit the assessment report in the end of last year. However, based on our understanding, the CEPD indicated that some scholars and experts had not yet presented their opinions by the end of last year, and so the assessment report is still being prepared. Therefore, the MAC has no idea about the concrete assessment results. We hope that the CEPD will submit the said assessment report on the feasibility of the building of the Jindeng Bridge as soon as possible.
QUESTION: Did the MAC join the CEPD in preparing the assessment report? Will the said report be submitted directly to the Executive Yuan for the discussions among the ministries? The building of the Jindeng Bridge involves cross-strait relations and the national defense. When will the factor involving cross-strait relations be incorporated into the considerations being made on this issue? What mechanisms will be adopted to address it?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU: As of now, I have not yet received any request for opinion consultation from the CEPD. An assessment regarding this case is still ongoing within the CEPD. Once the CEPD has submitted the said report, it will probably invite the relevant ministries to conduct discussions. As to the actual subsequent procedures, the MAC will make a public announcement once having gained further understanding.
QUESTION: What is the MAC’s view on the building of the first bridge connecting mainland China and Taiwan?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU: The MAC believes that this requires a comprehensive consideration, because this does not simply involve convenience of transportation. Especially now that the relevant cross-strait agreements on sea transport and air transport have been signed, “convenience” is not anymore the only factor to be considered. Consideration will also be given to the overall effects that may be imposed on the economic conditions and the living environment. Therefore, the MAC did not present too many opinions at that time, but it agreed that the comprehensive assessment should be carried out by the CEPD. Moreover, the issue has not yet entered into the consultation phase.
Chinese dove tree is grown at a forestry testing site; when the Formosan serow and the Formosan sika deer can be brought to the Mainland requires further understanding
QUESTION: Where is the Chinese dove tree being grown? When can the Formosan serow and the Formosan sika deer be brought to the Mainland?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU:
■ The Chinese dove tree was brought to Taiwan as a bare plant. To make it grow, the Council of Agriculture (COA) has planted the seedlings at a nursery in a forestry testing site. As soon as the plant gets accustomed to the Taiwan weather, the COA will look for a more suitable place to plant it. As to the future venue, this has not yet been decided. This should be announced by the COA.
■ As for the issue on the Formosan serow and the Formosan sika deer, this would require further understanding.
To facilitate Mainland tourist visits to Taiwan, it is hoped that the Mainland side will simplify the administrative procedures and increase the number of tour operators
QUESTION: Shao Qiwei, director of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), will visit Taiwan on February 25. Will any adjustments be made to the Permit Regulations Governing the Sightseeing Activities in Taiwan by Mainland Tourists?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU:
■ Recently Taiwan has relaxed the restrictions on the number of people in a tour group and the length of stay in Taiwan. Meanwhile, the Mainland side also announced some days ago that residents of twelve provinces (and areas) will be allowed to visit Taiwan for sightseeing, which brings the total of provinces (municipalities and areas) allowing their residents to visit Taiwan to 25.
■ As for the issue regarding the insufficient number of tour operators, the ROC side will continue to communicate with the Mainland side hoping that they will actively handle this case. Recently the number of Mainland people visiting Taiwan for sightseeing has grown. We hope that the Mainland side will increase the number of tour operators as soon as possible and simplify the administrative procedures so that it will be more convenient for Mainland people to visit Taiwan for sightseeing.
Cross-strait exchanges between officials continue to be carried out
QUESTION: There have been reports today that the restrictions prohibiting mainland Chinese minister-level officials from visiting Taiwan have been lifted. What is the response of the MAC?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU: The government has always adopted an encouraging attitude toward cross-strait personnel exchanges. We have not set any restrictions. We also do not have any relevant information saying that the Mainland authorities are prohibiting their officials from visiting Taiwan. In fact, exchanges between officials of both sides of the Strait are ongoing. Recently there have been many vice governors, city mayors, high-level officials from the Mainland’s central government applying to visit Taiwan. Therefore, the reports that Mainland officials intending to visit Taiwan have been affected due to the incident involving the attack on Zhang Mingqing are untrue.
Taiwan can render special assistance to Amway travel group visiting Taiwan for sightseeing
QUESTION: Amway China has organized a tour group to visit Taiwan for sightseeing. What is the progress of the review of their application?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU: The media reported the other day that an Amway tourist group has considered applying for a Japanese or Korean visa due to the restriction that their application for a Taiwan entry visa should be filed in their country of residence. However, the situation has not yet developed into this stage. We are positive and optimistic about the handling of this case. With regard to this case, the attitude of the Mainland side has become more positive. We also reiterate that as long as they obtain entry-exit documents issued by the Mainland authorities, the Taiwan side will render assistance on a special case-by-case basis.
It is hoped that the SEF and the ARATS will commence negotiations on the four authorized issues after the Lunar New Year holidays
QUESTION: Will there be more authorized issues or new items for the holding of the Third Chiang-Chen Talks? As to the issues that have been authorized, have initial communications started? Has the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) responded?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU:
■ Right now we are conducting communications on the four issues. We hope that related mattes can be addressed immediately after the Lunar New Year holidays. I believe that the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and the ARATS are actively handling these issues. Of course, there will be no problem if there are other items on which both sides have fully exchanged views and they are also willing to incorporate them into the SEF-ARATS negotiation mechanism.
■ “Negotiations shall be conducted as soon as possible after the Lunar New Year holidays on the items that have been authorized.” This was the tacit agreement between both sides when they gave their authorization before the holidays. Once there is any progress we will let everybody know.
■ We will make a public announcement as to which issues have been authorized for negotiations. As to whether the ARATS has responded, I will explain this to you after I have gained further understanding.
The MAC will continue to show concern over the subsequent handling of the forced repatriation of Mainland spouse Yi Huajuan
QUESTION: Mainland spouse Yi Huajuan has been ordered by the National Immigration Agency to be repatriated within the prescribed period of time. What kind of assistance has the MAC provided to her?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU:
■ Regarding the case of Mainland spouse Yi Huajuan, the National Immigration Agency (NIA) had hoped that she would leave the country within few days when the NIA was handling her residency case in August last year, and the NIA had also confiscated her documents. When she appealed to us, she was already pregnant. As such, the MAC has coordinated with the NIA to handle her case on the basis that “the execution of forced repatriation shall be suspended in case the person concerned is over five months pregnant.” Her documents were also returned to her so that she could avail of the National Health Insurance benefits to receive prenatal examination and medical care.
■ The NIA has made an assessment of its handling of “facts of the criminal act” and “forced repatriation.” Although the administrative procedures had been lengthy, the NIA made the assessment in a direction that is consistent with the other conditions pertaining to foreign spouses. We will continue to show concern about the NIA’s subsequent handling of this case.