The Mainland Affairs Council today (30th) reiterated that the promotion of the cross-Strait “Three-Links” is the consistent policy of the Government. The Taiwan side has made all the preparations for the negotiations. As long as the Mainland authorities refrain from making any political obstructions, both sides of the Strait can start negotiations on this matter.
The Mainland Affairs Council expressed regret over the statement of the Mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office at its press briefing today putting the blame of the delayed implementation of the “Three-Links” on the Taiwan side. The Mainland Affairs Council emphasized that the Taiwan side has shown its greatest sincerity with regard to the promotion of the cross-Strait “Three-Links” by having announced the “Assessment Report on the Impact of the Direct Cross-Strait Transportation” and related “Measures for the Air Cargo Facilitation and the Cross-Strait Freight Facilitation.” These are the greatest efforts that could be made by the Taiwan side in facing the deadlock caused by the Mainland’s setting up of obstacles to block negotiations on the cross-Strait “Three-Links.”
The Mainland Affairs Council pointed out that President Chen Shui-bian has emphasized in his inaugural address on May 20 that his administration would implement cross-Strait cultural, trade and economic exchanges, which included the “Three-Links,” for the welfare of the people on both sides of the Strait and to satisfy the expectations of the international community. Mr. Qian Qichen also pointed out on August 24, 2000 that “the enforcement of the ‘Three-Links’ does not necessarily entail that the political issues are going to be resolved.” On January 5, 2001, he mentioned that “if the ‘Three-Links’ were treated as an economic issue, then there was no need to talk about political issues.” On October 6, 2002, he stated again that “the ‘One China’ does not have to be acknowledged in order to realize the ‘Three-Links’” and that “the ‘Three-Links’ are not an issue of political negotiation, but an economic one.” Since the promotion of the “Three-Links” is the joint objective of both sides of the Strait, there is no need for them to mention any explanation or principle that goes beyond this objective. The Mainland Affairs Council emphasized that the Taiwan side has always advocated for the commencement of negotiations on any issue between both sides of the Strait without setting any preconditions, and this position has not changed. As for the model of the negotiations, the Government has weighed the cross-Strait status quo during the amendment of the “Act Governing Relations Between Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area” and has formulated a flexible way of managing the situation by authorizing civilian organizations other than the Straits Exchange Foundation to participate in the negotiations. This also shows that the Taiwan side’s pragmatic attitude toward its willingness to resume dialogue with the Mainland side on any issue including the “Three-Links” as soon as possible, as well as its established policies, cannot be called into question.
Regarding the restatement of the Mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office that its position on its policy of cross-Strait trade, economic, and cultural exchanges would not be changed, the Mainland Affairs Council pointed out that the political interference suffered by Taiwanese businessmen and Taiwanese artists in the Mainland are not isolated cases. These cases will have detrimental effect on the long-term development of cross-Strait relations. We hope that the Mainland authorities will not only reiterate their position in words, but will also adopt corresponding action, and eliminate political interferences that hinder normalized cross-Strait exchanges, to maintain benign interaction between both sides of the Strait.