The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday that it needed more time before commenting on Beijing's latest remarks on cross-strait affairs, although senior DPP members said they welcomed China's goodwill.
Earlier yesterday, Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen (錢其琛) issued a statement to mark the seventh anniversary of Chinese President Jiang Zemin's (江澤民) "Eight Points" (江八點) in which he left open the possibility of higher-level cross-strait exchanges.
Jan Jyh-horng (
"It will take the efforts of both sides to end the stalemate across the Strait," Jan said. "The MAC will not give up any chance to normalize relations with Beijing."
Departing from past practice, Qian said he welcomed DPP members to visit China, saying not all DPP members supported Taiwan's independence.
The rhetoric fell in line with a statement made by Zhou Mingwei (
"There is difference between DPP members and the minority of hardline independence advocates," Qian said. "We welcome most DPP members to visit China under appropriate capacities to promote mutual understanding."
Qian also reiterated China's wish to strengthen cross-strait economic ties.
"We would like to listen to Taiwan's opinions on the establishment of a cooperation mechanism toward that end," he said.
Qian said that people who tried to limit economic cooperation between two sides were obstacles and that "they should be moved out as soon as possible" so that "cross-strait economic and trade problems can be resolved."
On the direct-links issue, Qian called for negotiations between non-governmental vocational organizations across the Strait.
Qian's statement suggested mechanisms to increase cooperation such as inviting DPP members to visit China and discussing issues of mutual economic interest.
In response to Qian's statement, DPP legislative whip Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said that Qian's statement contained goodwill and that the DPP welcomed this kind of message.
"We won't prohibit DPP members from visiting China," Tsai said, "and we hope that the leaders from each side of the Strait can visit each other."
Tsai also said that based on the goodwill, "dialogue between two sides should be resumed as soon as possible."
DPP Secretary-general Wu Nai-jen (
MAC Vice President Lin Chong-Pin (林中斌) told the Taipei Times earlier this month that the period from February to April offered a "small window of opportunity" for the two sides to resume dialogue.
Lin said that dialogue between the two sides in 1993 and 1998 occurred in a similar environment to the one now, with both sides being relatively stable domestically and on good terms with the US.
RSS