However, cross-strait analysts yesterday said that China's response was not surprising.
"Before the year-end legislative elections, China's response is to be expected. It is not possible that China would give Chen any credit before the elections," said Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政), executive director of the Institute for National Policy Research. It is believed that a positive response from China regarding Chen's National Day Speech will lend a hand to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) goal of taking more than half of the legislative seats in the upcoming elections.
Lo forecasted that there was more to come, pointing out that China's response yesterday had come in the form of an official's remarks, a far cry from Chen's speech, which had come after repeated reminders that an important announcement was to be issued.
"We must still look to the May 17 statement. [China's response] yesterday were just remarks and not a statement. A statement is the work of collective wisdom," Lo said.
"Policy initiatives require certain political realities to support them. In this case, the political realities are the upcoming US and legislative elections ... After the elections, China will be able to look again to Chen's words and evaluate whether it is workable or feasible," Lo said.
With regard to Zhang's demand that Taiwan admit to the 1992 consensus, former deputy national defense minister and MAC vice chairman Lin Chong-pin (
"When the 1992 consensus was first introduced by then MAC chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2000, China failed to make a response. Now China is running after opportunities that they have lost," Lin said.
While refraining to make predictions as to the possibility of talks on cross-strait flights, Lin pointed out that Beijing seemed to exhibit more agility in handling cross-strait issues pertaining to the "people of Taiwan," as opposed to the government.
"They [China] divide the two things very distinctly. Regarding cross-strait interaction involving Taiwanese people, Beijing under Hu seems to be becoming more agile and engaging. But other issues regarding Taiwan's status as a sovereign country have not changed a lot, especially with regard to our international living space. They have not relaxed this aspect one bit," Lin said yesterday.
While Lin said that China did not have to wait until after the legislative elections to respond positively to Taiwan's cross-strait flights proposals, given its willingness to be flexible in areas such as "cross-strait flights, or social activities," he said that China had a habit of making last minute decisions.
"They wait until 11:59 before making a move," he said.
RSS