Ties with China do not jeopardize Taiwan's sovereignty: president
ROC Central News Agency
Taipei, Dec. 28 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou said Sunday that the closer economic ties with China have in no way jeopardized Taiwan's sovereignty or dignity and that the government's recent launch of daily direct cross-Taiwan Strait charter flights, and direct shipping and postal links with China, is beneficial to Taiwanese citizens and will raise Taiwan's competitiveness in the region.
Ma made the remarks during a speech he gave at a workshop for senior officials on programs related to China.
"My administration has always aimed to serve the best interests of Taiwan," Ma said, adding that four accords signed in November are all economic issues of major concern to Taiwan and are absolutely irrelevant to the delicate sovereignty issue.
The results of recent opinion polls show that the majority of the public favor the launch of the direct links with China, as more than two-thirds of the respondents believe the agreements signed with China will have a very positive effect on the economy, said Ma.
Using the panda issue as an example, Ma said that despite the fact that the Secretariat of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild and Fauna and Flora (CITES) said earlier this month that the transfer of pandas from China to Taiwan was in the category of internal/domestic trade, the delivery of the animals followed the mode of a country-to-country transfer and has in no way belittled Taiwan's status, adding that if it was an internal/domestic transfer, no customs declaration would have been needed.
As giant pandas are an endangered species subject to the protection of the CITES, cross-border transfers of the animals must follow strict CITES guidelines. According to the guidelines, the two parties must supply export and import permits confirming that all conditions for the transfer have been met. This implies that the transaction is between two countries.
"The logic behind it is simple, " said Ma. "No-one is required to present a passport or customs declaration when traveling within the borders of a country."
Turning to a just-concluded forum between the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) and the Communist Party of China, Ma said Taiwan's quasi-official Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and its Chinese counterpart -- the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) -- cannot replace all the the functions of Non-Government Organizations (NGOs).
"We need all the help we can get, " said Ma adding that in the near future, the SEF and the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) will not be able to handle the daily increasing matters between Taiwan and China.
Emphasizing that there are more than 60 channels of communication between the United States and China, Ma noted that NGOs and academics are a vital part of the non-official communication channels between the two sides of the strait that can contribute significantly to the improvement of cross-strait ties and cooperation.
Ma also said the various government agencies should strengthen communications among themselves in order to better serve the interests of the public in the planning of future negotiations with China, as the new era in cross-strait ties requires the participation of the entire government system.
"The pacts with China represent an opportunity to boost Taiwan's economy but should not be regarded as a panacea for Taiwan's economic woes, " said Ma, adding that the government should always hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
Urging both Taiwan and China to show their willingness to further improve bilateral relations, Ma said Taiwan should find ways to increase positive interaction with China, as the development of two-way ties is a vital priority.
Since the KMT returned to power in May, Ma's administration has been working to melt the ice between the two sides of the strait and to forge links with China, particularly on the economic front.
In their second round of talks held in Taipei from Nov. 3-7, SEF Chairman Chiang Pin-kung, and his Chinese counterpart, ARATS President Chen Yunlin, signed four agreements to allow daily direct cross-strait flights, direct shipping links and direct postal services, as well as the establishment of a food safety mechanism between the two sides.
According to the MAC, which charts the country's China policies and oversees the SEF, the agenda for the next cross-strait dialogue will include cross-strait cooperation in the areas of combating crime, strengthening food safety, the inspection and quarantine of agriculture produce, and on investment, financial, fishery, cultural and educational cooperation. (By Luis Yu) ENDITEM/J
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