Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairperson Jaushieh Joseph Wu visited the Hualien County Hall this (20th) morning to give a briefing on the government work on Mainland affairs. This is also the second of a series of briefings on Mainland affairs briefings conducted by the MAC for local governments. A total of nearly 30 officials of related bureaus and departments led by Hualien County Vice Magistrate Chu Ching-peng attended the briefing. Chairperson Wu expressed that the amendment of the “Act Governing Relations Between Peoples in the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area” has been completed last year. The MAC will carry out the directive of President Chen Shui-bian during his meeting with the new Cabinet on May 29 instructing the government agencies concerned to completely activate its works on Mainland affairs and to systematically incorporate them into the scope of services to be provided by all levels of local governments. Chairperson Wu especially pointed out that the Hualien County Government had previously had excellent coordination with the central government. He hopes that the MAC and the Hualien County Government will set up a window for mutual exchanges and dialogue, to create a mechanism for direct feedback and direct contact for matters involving cross-Strait relations in the future.
Chairperson Wu expresses his hope that the local and central governments should forge closer contact and coordination on matters involving cross-Strait affairs. For example, in cases involving Mainland tourists in Taiwan, the police bureaus under the local governments are tasked to take care of a very important responsibility. Therefore, both the central and local governments need to have mutual coordination. The number of Taiwanese people going to the Mainland has accumulated to 31 million man/trips as of now; in recent years, the number of Taiwanese people going to the Mainland every year has reached 3 millions. The total volume of trade investments by Taiwanese people in the Mainland has reached US$70 billion; in the past year alone, total investments amounted to US$46.3 billion. On cross-Strait marriages, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) has authenticated a total of 210,000 cases; at present, there are 90,000 Mainland spouses staying all over Taiwan.
The issues that concern the Hualien County Government include the crucial problems and obstacles related to cross-Strait relations, how the Government can break the stalemate in cross-Strait interaction, how the Government can effectively control the collective whereabouts of Mainland tourists and prevent them from disappearing in Taiwan, whether the Government is planning to allow civil servants at the present stage to travel to the Mainland Area for sightseeing, and the “direct transportation links.”
Chairperson Wu points out as he answers questions raised by county government officials that since his election in 2000, President Chen Shui-bian has endeavored to ease up cross-Strait relations. Everybody should treat the Mainland’s recent military exercises at Dongshan Island and the national army’s artillery training in Pingtung, which have been regularly conducted for a long time, as normal. However, the Mainland’s military strength has grown at double-digit rates in the past few years, which makes it difficult for Taiwan to eliminate the Mainland’s military threats. The pressure felt by Taiwan from the military threat is extremely strong. Disequilibrium in the military strengths of both sides will cause a negative effect on cross-Strait relations. Therefore, we in Taiwan advocate that both sides of the Strait should establish a mechanism of military mutual trust through negotiations. The Mainland has not abandoned its repression of Taiwan in the international arena. For example, Mayor Ma Ying-jeou was oppressed by the Mainland during his visit to Europe; a painting by a 13-year-old junior high school student was withdrawn after it had been selected to be featured on a United Nations commemorative stamp; National Taiwan University students were forced to drop out from an international conference in Korea—all these due to the Mainland’s oppression. This series of oppressive actions by the Mainland in the international arena has made it difficult for both sides of the Strait to eliminate their conflicting emotions. After May 20, the MAC has not ceased to transmit goodwill, hoping that both sides could return to the negotiating table to negotiate on substantial issues, which include the “Three-Links” issue, as well as the authentication of documents, immigration and customs, and visa matters. On the trade and economic aspect, the signing of an investment protection agreement and a double taxation prevention agreement still need to be jointly negotiated and promoted by both sides of the Strait. Only through negotiations will cross-Strait relations be transformed from one of antagonism to an eased state and will a new era of cooperation be established.
In answering questions regarding the prevention of Mainland tourists from disappearing in Taiwan, Chairperson Wu states that since the disappearance of Mainland tourists in July this year, the Government has set up a new set of security management mechanism. As soon as it is officially set up and operated, the application procedures of Mainland tourists, starting from their submission of an application to documentary verification and their arrival in Taiwan will be strictly monitored. Director Yang Chia-chun of the Department of Legal Affairs further points out that Russian civilians have published 265 pieces of articles between 1994 and 1996 mainly probing into the so-called “Yellow Peril,” the illegal immigration of Mainland people into Russia. At present, there are 80,000 to 100,000 illegal Chinese immigrants in the world every year. To enter Taiwan, Mainland people use one or more of a variety of means as the opportunity arises, including entering into fake marriages, stowing away, engaging in fake visits to relatives, professional exchanges, and sightseeing. Director Yang further points out, citing examples of fake marriages, that Mainland people in the earlier days engaged in fake marriages with old veterans to enter Taiwan. In recent years, they have shifted to engaging in fake marriages with aborigine people to come to Taiwan.
Chairperson Wu emphasizes that at present, the Mainland has signed tourism agreements with more than thirty countries around the world. However, it has not yet listed Taiwan as a tourist destination. The MAC, nevertheless, continues to transmit its goodwill to the Mainland. At present, it has allowed reporters of the Mainland’s China News Service to be stationed in Taiwan to cover news events, and is also planning to allow Mainland actors to shoot films in Taiwan. In his May 20 inaugural address, President Chen Shui-bian also stated that with the consent of the 23 million Taiwanese people, the possibility of developing any form of relationship with the Mainland is not excluded. There is a tremendous goodwill, which the Mainland leaders should ponder on. Moreover, although it has been oppressed by the Mainland in the international arena, Taiwan has still moderated its speech. We believe that the Mainland officials and scholars have noticed this fact.