China gives nod to `small three links'

Beijing opened the door to historic direct contacts with Taiwan by indicating yesterday it would grudgingly go along with Taipei's plan for limited exchanges between its offshore islands and China.

It would be an encouraging sign of progress in relations across the Taiwan Strait that have been frosty since the election this year of Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).

Beijing has been pressing for full trade, transport and postal exchanges -- the so-called "three links."

China's state news agency quoted an official in the coastal province of Fujian as saying the Taiwan plan did not go far enough and "indicates that the Taiwan authorities lack sincerity and goodwill in realizing direct services."

Opening the "small three links" (小三通) did not go far enough in addressing the common desire for people on either side of the Taiwan Strait to have direct contact, the official said.

"Such a decision does not mean the direct services that people across the Straits have been longing for, and cannot meet the daily increasing demand for personnel and trade exchange between the two sides of the strait," Xinhua quoted the official as saying.

Taiwan's Cabinet this month approved regulations dropping a ban that has existed for more than five decades on direct contacts with China.

The cabinet sanctioned the small three links between its heavily-fortified island groups of Kinmen and Matsu, and Fujian.

The first Taiwan ships carrying Buddhist pilgrims, officials and news reporters are scheduled to set sail on Jan. 1.

Taiwan requires that all contacts with China be conducted through third countries, although smugglers from both sides already do a roaring direct trade in the Taiwan Strait, and Taiwan fishermen regularly put ashore in China.

Xinhua quoted the official as calling on non-governmental organizations in Kinmen and Matsu, and the Chinese cities of Fuzhou and Xiamen, "to facilitate the two-way personnel and trade exchange across the strait and do everything possible to simplify related procedures."

Asked to comment on the Xinhua report, an official in the news division of China's Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said: "We don't have anything further we want to say."

"All the questions you have about Taiwan are all in the Xinhua report," she said.

Another Taiwan Affairs Office official also declined to comment on the report. "We have never said `small three links' or `big three links,'" he said.

"We have all along advocated the full three links."

One explanation for the evasiveness of Beijing officials is that China does not want to hand Chen a victory by trumpeting its acceptance of limited exchanges. It may want contacts to begin in a low-key fashion with little publicity, hoping they will lead to unstoppable demands in Taiwan for a broader opening.

Taiwan investors have pumped more than US$40 billion into China and are clamoring for direct links. Most now shuttle to their factories in China through Hong Kong, a time-wasting journey that adds to their costs.

Taiwan Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄), touring Kinmen on Tuesday, called on Beijing to accept the limited exchanges.

He said Taiwan was determined to go ahead with its plan even without Beijing's blessing.

"It's a small step but it's an important starting point to ease more than half a century of confrontation," Chang said.