Beijing asks KMT to set up in China

Beijing has asked the KMT to set up an office in China to facilitate cross-strait business exchanges, KMT legislator Helen Chu (朱鳳芝) said yesterday.

The offer is just the latest in Beijing's continuing efforts to isolate the DPP-led government in the hope of reviving the fortunes of the KMT -- a party China believes would be more amenable to its unification plans.

In talks with visiting KMT legislators on Friday, Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen (錢其琛) asked the opposition party whether it wanted to open a "service center," Chu said.

Officials at the KMT's Mainland Affairs Division said the party still needs to assess the feasibility of the idea.

"The KMT's purpose is very simple. That is to serve the many Taiwanese doing business in China," Chu said.

If realized, the offer would mark the first time the KMT has been allowed a foothold in China since the KMT army fled to Taiwan in 1949.

To serve the Taiwanese business community in China -- largely in the form of helping to solve disputes -- the KMT is currently planning the establishment of a Taiwan-based service center under its policy committee.

"But without a foothold in China, the service would be limited," Chu said.

With or without government approval, Taiwanese companies have poured an estimated US$70 billion into China since authorities first allowed civil exchanges between the two sides in 1987.

Chu said the plan was also backed by Chen Yunlin (陳雲林), director of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office. The KMT lawmakers met Chen Thursday.

"Both Qian and Chen in principle approved the idea, but they still favor a service center to be run by a KMT enterprise," she said.

Chang Jung-kung (張榮恭), director of the KMT's Mainland Affairs Division, said the party currently has no plan to set up an office in China.

Chang said the party, as a civil organization serving the people, had come up with the plan to set up a Taiwan-based service center for Taiwanese businesses mainly because of the high demand for assistance.

Chang said a number of the party's representatives are businessmen with investments in China, who could help contact other Taiwanese businesses in need of assistance after the service center is set up.

Chang added that the establishment of such a center would have nothing to do with the issue of unification versus independence, and that the center's functions will not overlap with those of the government.

China has been reluctant to deal with President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) administration and is upset with his government's refusal to accept Beijing's version of the "one China" principle.