Trade policies won't change: officials

The government is in no rush to change its cross-strait trade policies after the rally against China's "Anti-Secession" Law ended peacefully on Saturday, top officials said yesterday.

"We will not further tighten the restrictions [on Chinese investments because of the law]," Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) told reporters after meeting with several representatives of the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce (工商協進會) yesterday.

Hsieh has said the government would overhaul its cross-strait policies after the demonstration, as people's reactions would be a major factor in deciding on future policies. But, the much-anticipated relaxation on the semiconductor industry was put on hold as a result.

The government has shifted to a more open cross-strait policy, one of more "active opening, effective management," after President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) took office in 2000, from the "no haste, be patient" policy during his predecessor Lee Ten-hui's (李登輝) administration.

When asked whether the conversion of Chi Mei Corp (奇美實業) founder Hsu Wen-long (許文龍), who was seen as a supporter of Taiwan independence, would affect the government's cross-strait policies as more local corporations followed suit asking for more opening cross-strait trade policies, Hsieh said, "We will not thereby alter the existing policies. We fully understand difficulties faced by local enterprises in doing business in China. The government will take into consideration their opinions."

In an open letter published on Saturday, Hsu threw his support behind the "one China" idea, saying Taiwan and China belonged to one China and calling on the government to lift the four-decade ban on direct transportation links with China.

Hsu's remarks highlighted the complicated situation that Taiw-anese businesspeople are facing while investing in China, where commercial and political issues are intertwined.

In response, Hsieh said the government will take an open attitude in formulating new cross-strait trade policies and will strictly enforce those rules to avoid controversy over China-bound investments by Taiwanese businesses, including United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, 聯電).

The world's No. 2 contract chipmaker could face punishment if a court finds the company has illegally invested in China-based chipmaker He Jian Technology (Suzhou) Co (和艦), he said.

Separately, as Beijing has explicitly said they did not welcome pro-independence Taiwanese businesspeople such as Hsu investing in China and have shelved Chi Mei's investment projects citing technological reasons, Minister of Economics Affairs Ho Mei-yueh (何美玥) was asked a question yesterday about the government's stance.

"We will not put extra restrictions on Taiwanese businessmen supporting the `one China' policy," Ho said during a Legislative Yuan question-and-answer session.

The ministry will not impose additional restrictions on individuals when reviewing their China-bound investment proposals, Ho said.