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BEIJING HAS NO RIGHT TO TALK ABOUT CROSS-STRAIT PEACE: DPP

2003-12-26 18:11:43

    Taipei, Dec. 26 (CNA) If mainland China refuses to remove the missiles it has aimed at Taiwan, it has no right to speak of cross-strait peace and reconciliation, Chen Chi-mai, secretary general of the legislative caucus of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said Friday.

    The DPP legislative party whip was responding to an apparent attempt the previous day by the mainland authorities to woo Taiwan when mainland leaders received the presidents of Taiwan businessmen's associations in mainland China.

    Mainland Chinese President Hu Jintao said he would do his utmost to seek the peaceful unification of China and put forward "three ifs" in his first meeting with the leaders of the Taiwan businessmen's associations. These were described as "if things are favorable toward Taiwanese businessmen investing in the mainland, if things are favorable toward cross-strait economic, technology and cultural exchange and cooperation, and if things are favorable toward the development of cross-strait relations and national unification," mainland China will do its utmost to promote them.

    Chen said that if the mainland authorities do not remove the missiles aimed at Taiwan and renounce the threat of force against Taiwan, it has no right to talk about cross-strait peace or reconciliation. "Even if they talk about '100 ifs, ' the Taiwan people will not believe them, " Chen said. "Only if they make substantive moves to show concern and goodwill by removing the missiles will they be qualified to talk about cross-strait issues," he added.

    Chen noted that Hu, together with Chen Yun-lin, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of State Council, and his deputies Li Bingcai and Wang Zaixi are the highest-level mainland officials to have received Taiwan businessmen. "This is obviously because of the March presidential election in Taiwan and because they want to woo Taiwan businessmen to affect the election," he observed.

    Chen Chung-hsin, director of the DPP's Department of China Affairs, echoed his words and noted that there are two factions on the mainland concerning policy toward Taiwan.

    He said Hu's words might be aimed at improving cross-strait ties in the short term, hoping to woo the Taiwan people so as to dampen the sentiment of Taiwan independence

    But he also urged Beijing to be pragmatic, saying that President Chen Shui-bian's cross-strait policy has always been to keep Taiwan's status quo and peace in the Taiwan Strait. He added that the president said in his New Year's message this year that both sides of the Taiwan Strait should establish stable, peaceful exchanges.

    But the DPP official also said that because there is a lack of basis for mutual trust, there are great hurdles in the way of achieving the goal.

    The mainland says that the hurdle lies on the Taiwan side, but the Taiwan side disagrees. He cited as an example the direct cross-strait postal, trade and transportation links touted by Taiwan.

    He said that the government has already issued an assessment report on direct transportation links, but has so far failed to get any response from the mainland. "That is because Beijing doesn't want the DPP to continue to rule, so that it is unwilling to give a chance to both sides to improve relations before the March 20 presidential election, " he said.

(By Lilian Wu)

ENDITEM/J