Chen to relax cross-strait trade policies

The Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) administration is considering further relaxing cross-strait economic policy before Chen steps down in May, a plan which is supported by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), an official at the Presidential Office who wished to remain anonymous said yesterday.

The official said that further opening of cross-strait trade had always been the government's policy. Measures being considered include expanding the "small three links" and granting amnesty to Taiwanese businesspeople defying government bans on investment in China.

Asked whether the measures would be implemented before Chen's term ends on May 20, the official said: "There is no point in delaying if we can do it now."

As long as the "effective opening, active management" principle is upheld, the measures would be prioritized as long as they do not require bilateral negotiations or legal revisions, the official said.

The Economic Daily News reported in yesterday's edition that in order to lure China-based Taiwanese businesspeople home, Chen intends to ease cross-strait economic policy before he steps down on May 20.

Measures would include granting an amnesty to China-based Taiwanese businesspeople who have defied government bans on investment, adjusting the taxation system and expanding the "small three links" before direct cross-strait transportation takes place, the report said.

The report said that Chen made the decision on Friday, when he met Taiwanese businesspeople based in China at the Presidential Office.

The official said China-based Taiwanese businesspeople wanted the government to establish a mechanism to allow them to return and that they were willing to pay taxes, but they would like to see the government grant an amnesty to those investing in China before they would return.

While the "small three links" cover travel to Fujian Province, the government was considering expanding it to other areas which would allow more people to take advantage of the routes, the official said.

Meanwhile, Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦), a spokesman for Hsieh's campaign team, yesterday said that further opening of direct transportation links with China was government policy, not an election ploy.

The aim was to upgrade Taiwan's competitiveness, not to court potential voters for the presidential election, he said, emphasizing that it would be a gradual process and must be achieved step by step.

Hsieh Hsin-ni (謝欣霓), another spokesperson for Hsieh, said that Hsieh supports any policy that serves the best interests of the public.

Cabinet Spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) said the government would do its best to put Chen's cross-strait policy into practice before he leaves office.

Emphasizing that the policy had nothing to do with the upcoming election, Shieh said the administration, regardless of who was in power, was duty bound to create an environment attractive to China-based Taiwanese businesspeople.

In related news, Frank Hsieh yesterday invited Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) to visit Taiwan and negotiate on cross-strait relations in Kinmen if he is elected next month.

Dubbing it the "Kinmen declaration," Frank Hsieh, who was in Kinmen yesterday, said that he would like to see Taiwan become a "no-war zone" and Kinmen a "special peace area."

He would also like to see the nation help to advance China's democratization.