MAC INSISTS ON GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION IN CROSS-STRAIT TALKS
Central News Agency
2005-07-04 16:01:29
Taipei, July 4 (CNA) Cross-Taiwan Strait talks on the launch of chartered cargo flights and Taiwan's agricultural exports to China must be participated in by the government in order to protect the interests of the Taiwan people, Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu said Monday.
In a radio interview, Wu said Taiwan's democratic spirit will be ruined if China is allowed to unilaterally designate which party in Taiwan it wants to negotiate with.
Wu denied that the recent China visits by opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan and People First Party Chairman James Soong have put pressure on the government's cross-strait economic policy.
Wu said the government has hoped to push for "two-way, non-stop" cross-strait chartered cargo flights, which he said is different from what Lien and Soong are trying to promote.
According to Wu, Beijing has evaded talks with the government of Taiwan on the launch of cross-strait chartered cargo flights because it is afraid the chartered cargo service will damage the interests of China.
Urging Beijing not to worry about this problem, Wu said the government of Taiwan is promoting the project based on the concept of "mutual benefit."
On the export of Taiwan agricultural products to China, Wu said that the government has authorized the Taiwan External Trade Development Council to arrange for negotiations with China and that it is now awaiting a response from Beijing.
He reminded local farmers that China, by allowing the import of Taiwan farm products, could in return request that Taiwan open its market to Chinese farm products and could seek to attract an inflow of Taiwan capital, technology and talent, a situation which he warned might "uproot" Taiwan's agricultural sector.
(By Y.F. Low)
ENDITEM/Li
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