Taipei, Feb. 18 (CNA) Premier Vincent Siew on Friday reiterated his call for the establishment of a "Taiwan Strait peace zone" so as to promote the normalization of cross-strait relations.
Siew made the remarks in an administrative report to the Legislative Yuan, his last as premier, since he will pitch in to the official 28-day presidential election campaign activities on Saturday as the running mate of Vice Present Lien Chan.
Siew said that while the government's "no haste, be patient" stance on cross-strait trade relations is the current policy, it is by no means unchangeable.
He added that if cross-strait relations are markedly improved, and the rights of Taiwan businessmen duly protected, the policy could be adjusted.
He also said that he will led the Cabinet in an en masse resignation before the inauguration of the new president on May 20.
In retrospect, Siew noted that his Cabinet has dedicated itself to the national modernization program, that the nation has emerged unscathed from the regional financial storm, and that it has weathered the massive Sept. 21 earthquake of last year.
He noted that Taiwan, despite its small size, managed to create a trade volume of US$230 billion to become the 18th-largest economy in the world, and the 15th-largest trading nation.
Taiwan's foreign exchange reserves rank third in the world, while its per capita income now totals US$13,000, a huge leap from the US$100 of half-a-century ago.
Looking toward the future, he said that the government will push for a new wave of reforms and try to root out "black gold" politics, adding that substantive measures in this regard include the promulgation of the law regarding disclosure of the assets of civil servants, and the government procurement law.
The government will also work on the lobby bill, the political parties bill, and the management of political donations bill.
Siew also vowed to change the relationship between local governments and the central government to a partnership relationship, and to promote voluntary work by members of the public.
The government will also work to step up information development to turn Taiwan into a high-tech island, said Siew. (By Lilian Wu)
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