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Ties with China could shift next year: security official

ROC Central News Agency

2011/10/24 21:50:21

Taipei , Oct. 24 (CNA) Relations between Taiwan and mainland China could change not only if a new president is elected in Taiwan in January. They can also change once Beijing carries out a leadership transition next year, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai De-sheng said on Monday.

Briefing the Legislative Yuan's Foreign and National Defense Committee on the bureau's operations, Tsai said current cross-Taiwan Strait relations "appeared" stable, but faced possible changes.

China's leadership under President Hu Jintao has so far taken a "moderate and pragmatic" approach toward relations with Taiwan, but Hu's policy will be reviewed when China ushers in a new generation of leaders next year, Tsai said.

Hu is regarded as dovish toward Taiwan. If the doves in the Chinese leadership lose their influence in the transition, the hawks would rise, said Tsai. If that's the case, then China's Taiwan policy might undergo a wave of disruptions, Tsai said.

Another problem is that once the political climate in China changes next year, all incumbent officials responsible for Taiwan affairs are expected to be replaced. There could be a long period of time before the new officials appointed to be in charge of Taiwan affairs can get up to speed in their jobs, Tsai added.

Interactions between Taiwan and China, meanwhile, will develop from the current stage that has seen China yielding economic benefits and concessions to the country to a new stage of China also seeking benefits from Taiwan in return, Tsai said.

China will not likely continue to handle cross-strait relations from the standpoint of wanting to lavish Taiwan with benefits to win over hearts and minds, but would take into greater consideration its own interests, including that of its companies in future negotiations, Tsai suggested.

Taiwan must be wiser in handling cross-Taiwan Strait relations and try to maintain cross-strait ties on a stable level, he said. (By Chen Pei-huang and Elizabeth Hsu) Enditem/cs