Siew could meet Hu at forum

Vice president-elect Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) is expected to attend the Boao Forum in China on Friday in his capacity as chairman of the Cross-strait Common Market Foundation, prompting media speculation yesterday as to whether he would meet Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) during the event.

The Cross-strait Common Market Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Siew, has been a participant at the annual forum — a gathering of businesspeople and officials focusing on greater trade cooperation in Asia. The forum is held in Hainan Province.

President-elect Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) confirmed yesterday that Siew intended to attend the meeting.

“He will participate [at the forum] as chairman of the Cross-strait Common Market Foundation. He has taken part in [the forum] using that title in the past few years,” Wang said, adding that Siew would not emphasize his status as vice president-elect during the event.

Wang, who will accompany Siew to the event, said the forum is a nongovernmental trade and economic forum, much like an international conference.

The Taiwanese delegates will avoid politics, Wang said, adding that Siew would join activities surrounding the forum in accordance with “international customs.”

The Chinese-language China Times yesterday quoted an unnamed Chinese official as saying that Hu — who will give the opening address at the Boao meeting on Friday — could meet with Siew on the sidelines of the forum.

Asked whether Siew would meet Hu, Wang said it had yet to be determined.

Wang he could not be certain whether Siew had shared his decision with Ma, but that since Siew had signed up for the event, the pair “may have discussed it.”

Siew not finalize his plans to attend the forum until Saturday night, Wang said, adding that Siew had taken the appropriateness, convenience and technical problems arising from his intended participation in the three-day meeting into consideration.

The Taiwanese delegation will include Douglas Hung (洪讀), chief executive officer at the foundation, and Chan Hou-sheng (詹火生), a consultant for the foundation, Wang said.

Siew hold a press conference today to announce his visit.

The forum’s list of attendees includes ten national leaders who so far have agreed to attend the forum, including Hu, Australian Prime Minister Kevid Rudd, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. Other political figures who are scheduled to attend the event include former US secretary of state Colin Powell, former Philippine president Fidel Ramos, former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke and Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang (曾蔭權).

The agenda of the forum shows that the Taiwanese delegation will host a roundtable meeting on “Taiwan’s economy and the prospect of cross-strait economy and trade” on Sunday afternoon. It remained unclear who on the Chinese side will participate.

Other to be discussed at the forum include green energy, financial reform and innovation, the development of Hong Kong, climate change, China’s 30 years of reform and the future of the Internet.

Asked comment yesterday, Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), said: “Mr Siew is not a government official yet. I think a little [cross-strait] dialogue will help reduce the misunderstanding and opposition across the Taiwan Strait. This will facilitate future cross-strait interaction.”

KMT Lee Jih-chu (李紀珠), a member of the legislature’s Finance Committee, said that efforts to improve communication between Beijing and Taipei was “a good thing.”

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus meanwhile urged Siew to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty.

“As a vice president-elect, Siew should defend the sovereignty of Taiwan — or the Republic of China [ROC] if they prefer — during his meeting with Hu,” DPP legislative caucus whip Yeh Yi-ching (葉宜津) said. “They [the KMT] say that the ‘1992 Consensus’ does exist and this is a chance for them to prove it.”

The so-called “1992 Consensus” is a reference to both sides of the Strait agreeing to separate interpretations of “one China.” The “consensus” is not universally recognized as valid in Taiwan. Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) has admitted that he made up the term weeks before the inauguration of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in 2000.

“Whether they call it Taiwan or the ROC, the sovereignty of our country should not be compromised in any manner whatsoever,” Yeh said yesterday.

Yeh urged Siew to clearly state what he will be discussing with Hu should they meet.

“If the KMT is looking to turn agreements they may have reached with Beijing into future policy, then Siew should tell the people everything they talked or are planning to talk about,” she said.

“It’s their responsibility to do so,” she said.

Additional reporting by Loa Iok-sin and agencies