Objective
Chinese Development Fund (CDF) is a non-profit fund created by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) under the Executive Yuan to promote cross-Strait civilian exchanges. Its objective is to combine the resources in the private sector to foster positive development of cross-Strait relations.
As the frequency of cross-Strait civilian contacts increases, cross-Strait cultural and economic relations have grown ever closer. Hence, the status of cross-Strait interaction has become significantly correlated to Taiwan. At present, the majority of cross-Strait exchanges are civilian in nature; we must therefore earnestly solicit support from different sectors to create more favorable environment for cross-Strait exchanges based on the spirit of equality and mutual benefit.
Organization
The Management Committee, which is CDF’s main body, has nine committee members, wherein the MAC chairperson serves concurrently as the Committee chairperson. CDF likewise has an executive secretary, as well as planning, accounting, and general affairs divisions. The Management Committee holds regular meetings and is responsible for policy formulation and review of management and use of funds.
Scope of Operations
To fulfil the ideal of enriching cross-Strait exchanges, CDF assists the private sector in carrying out cross-Strait exchanges. At present, CDF plans and promotes exchanges in accordance with the following three major policy objectives:
I. To increase cross-Strait cultural and educational exchanges and cooperation
CDF helps build cooperative channels for cross-Strait academic and cultural exchanges, and facilitates cross-Strait academic visits, conferences, research, and speech engagements to improve cross-Strait academic standard. The promotion of academic exchanges in the general sciences such as social modernization, disaster prevention, and ecology protection, will be conducive to the wellbeing of peoples of Taiwan and the Mainland. The current CDF projects include: sponsoring professionals and graduate students from Taiwan and the Mainland to teach or do researches in the other side; organizing forums and workshops for young scholars and students from both sides of the Strait; assisting Mainland nationals to publish their academic works in Taiwan; offering financial assistance to Taiwan academic works published in the Mainland; and donating publications to Mainland cultural organizations.
II. To help Mainland professionals better understand Taiwan
To help Mainland professionals better understand the developments, cultural thinking, and social values of Taiwan, CDF has since its foundation been planning and inviting them to visit Taiwan. CDF co-sponsors private organizations to invite scholars, experts, and administrators from the Mainland’s academic, religious, and literary and art circles to Taiwan for symposiums.
III. To improve cross-Strait information dissemination
The news media disseminates information. Exchanges between cross-Strait medias can help minimize the differences in thought and ideas between the people of both sides, thus contributing to harmonious cross-Strait relations. For this reason, CDF actively promotes mutual visits by media personnel, as well as organizes cross-Strait academic symposiums on journalism and publication exhibitions.
Future Prospects
The peaceful development of cross-Strait relations is a long and arduous task. It cannot be gauged only by the current gains or losses in cross-Strait relations; rather, the interests of the people across the Strait should be the main consideration. CDF is created in response to such need. To enable autonomous and flexible operations, CDF will endeavor to obtain its funds mainly from the saving interests and donations in the future; government subsidies will serve merely as supplementary. CDF will be working toward becoming a self-sufficient juristic-person foundation.
CDF will continue its systematic and key exchange programs to minimize the thought and ideas of the people on both sides, and to establish a foundation for mutual trust and cooperation across the strait.