President suggests the end of ban on direct links is near

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has predicted that a decades-old ban on direct links with China could end "very soon" after Beijing moved to depoliticize the issue.

Beijing's official China Daily said on Friday that Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen (錢其琛) had told Taiwan's United Daily News that China would refer to direct links with Taiwan as being a "cross-strait," rather than "domestic," issue.

"Cross-strait" is seen as a more neutral statement and does not touch on the Taipei-Beijing dispute over sovereignty.

"With regards to direct links between the two sides, a consensus and conclusion should be reached very soon as long as everyone can sit down, is willing to negotiate and willing to [restart] dialogue," Chen told a group of reporters in Taoyuan on Friday.

In his first response to comments by China's top Taiwan policymaker, Chen welcomed Qian's overtures but said it was not clear whether they rep-resented Beijing's policy.

The English-language China Daily described the move as a goodwill gesture designed to encourage the resumption of direct trade, transport and postal services.

In comments broadcast on cable news networks yesterday, Chen said talks should not have any preconditions.

Chen has said labeling the routes as domestic would "belittle, provincialize and marginalize" Taiwan.

The Executive Yuan is due to finish evaluating ways to establish direct links with China by next month.

However, officials have said the links cannot be opened until the two sides hold talks to work out details.