Asking for trouble with three links

Out of humanitarian concern, the former KMT government started to allow Taiwanese people to visit their families and relatives in China on Nov. 2, 1987, officially opening the door for exchanges across the Taiwan Strait. In recent years, as the cross-strait exchanges have steadily increased, the demand for the opening of the "three links" (大三通) -- direct transportation, communications and trade links between Taiwan and China -- grows stronger by the day. Many people called on the government to establish the "small three links" (小三通) between Taiwan's Kinmen (金門) and Matsu (馬祖) and China's Fujian Province (福建省) first.

To meet this popular demand, as well as to bring further prosperity to Taiwan's offshore islands, the Legislative Yuan recently added a provision in the Offshore Islands Development Act (離島建設條例) allowing direct links between Taiwan's offshore islands and China. The provision states that the small three links have two priorities: decriminalizing direct trade between the two sides and getting a head-start on regulating direct trade and shipping activities.

On Oct. 19, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC, 陸委會) submitted an evaluation report on the feasibility of the small three links to the Legislative Yuan, indicating that the policy was feasible provided implementation was done gradually and incrementally. The MAC also suggested the adoption of a "border trading" model under which only certain goods and limited numbers of people from China should be allowed to enter Kinmen and Matsu directly at the initial stage. Direct shipping will be allowed in one harbor per area (一區一港) and conducted through only two shipping links -- from Kinmen to China's Xiamen (廈門), and from Matsu to China's Fuzhou (福州), effective Jan. 1, 2001. Only cargo vessels will be allowed to engage in direct shipping.

Local media have reported that Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) recently stated that the small three links must succeed. Unlike the confident government officials, however, most Taiwanese, including citizens of Kinmen and Matsu, seem pessimistic about the small three links since no goodwill has been forthcoming from China. In my opinion, successful direct trade or shipping between Taiwan's offshore islands and China can never be achieved by Taiwan alone.

First of all, as the government plans to promote direct "cross-border" trade, I must point out that from a practical perspective such trading must be based on two foundations: peace across the border and a jointly executed agreement. Current cross-strait relations are still unstable. If a war breaks out over the Taiwan Strait, Kinmen and Matsu will bear the brunt of it. Thus, there isn't a peaceful environment to accommodate cross-border trade. Moreover, Beijing has categorized low-volume trade across the Taiwan Strait as domestic commercial activity, thus denying the need for cross-strait negotiations or the signing of agreements to implement the small three-links. The Beijing government went as far as unilaterally passing a low-volume trade control act for the "Taiwan area." Under these circumstances, it is obviously not appropriate for Kinmen and Matsu to engage in cross-border trade with China. The Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) administration's insistence on engaging in cross-border trade puts the safety of residents in Kinmen and Matsu, even in Taiwan proper, in very serious peril.