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Siew and Hu meet at forum in Hainan

Vice president-elect Vincent Siew, left, meets Chinese President Hu Jintao on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia held in Boao, China, yesterday. The meeting is being viewed as the first major test of the ability of the incoming Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration to improve relations with China. PHOTO: AP

Vice president-elect Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) met Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) yesterday afternoon in Hainan, an event hailed by the US as “the best way forward” for Taiwan and China.

The meeting, held on the sideline of the Boao Forum for Asia, made Siew the highest-ranking elected Taiwanese figure to come face-to-face with a Chinese leader since 1949. Siew attended the forum in his capacity as chairman of the Cross-Strait Common Market Foundation, a non-profit organization he founded.

During 20-minutes of talks, Su and Hu said they wanted closer economic ties. They sat side by side after shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries.

Siew, who was accompanied by a 12-member Taiwanese delegation, said that closer economic relations between China and Taiwan would facilitate regional stability and improve the lives of ordinary Taiwanese and Chinese.

Siew expressed hope that Taiwan and China would set aside their disputes with pragmatism and work together to create a bright future that will see a win-win scenario.

I emphasize to you our commitment to stability, our commitment to the resolution of these issues by peaceful means and our desire to see the dialogue take place as the best way to move forward.

John Negroponte, US deputy secretary of state

“Economic development is the mutual expectation of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait,” Siew told Hu, calling himself an “old soldier” of economic policy.

Hu said he looked forward to seeing the two sides pursue a consensus amid changing social and economic situations.

“I’d like to exchange ideas with Mr Siew on the issue of economic cooperation across the Taiwan Strait,” Hu said in televised remarks.

Both avoided politics in the live broadcast portions of their meeting.

A report by China Central Television (CCTV) later yesterday said that Hu also asked Siew to send his regards to president-elect Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) and former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰). CCTV did not refer to the trio’s titles in its report.

Siew, a veteran of the economic forum, has attended it since 2003 and met Hu there in the past. However, the meeting this time round took on much greater significance as Siew is now vice president-elect. He will assume office on May 20.

In a brief statement after his meeting with Hu yesterday, Siew said the meeting was “very frank, friendly and achieved results,” without elaborating.

During the meeting, Siew suggested “facing reality, inventing the future, putting aside controversy and seeking a win-win situation,” said KMT Legislator Su Chi (蘇起), a member of Siew’s delegation.

Siew suggested that direct cross-strait links could start with the implementation of weekend charter flights, Su said, adding that Siew also talked of opening Taiwan to Chinese tourists, normalizing cross-strait economic relations and trade, and reviving mechanisms for cross-strait negotiation.

Later last night, Chinese authorities issued a statement on the meeting in the form of a CCTV report.

“We will continue to push for cross-strait exchanges in areas such as economy and culture, continue to push for cross-strait weekend charter flights and negotiations on issues concerning visits by Chinese to Taiwan,” CCTV reported. “We will continue to care for the wellbeing of Taiwanese compatriots, safeguard the rights of Taiwanese compatriots and push for cross-strait negotiations.”

Asked to describe the atmosphere of the meeting with Hu, Su said: “Good chemistry, harmonious chemistry.”

“We’re basically trying to break ice that is eight years thick. We want to break the ice and usher in a new period in cross-strait relations with economics, trade and investment,” he said.

Yesterday morning, Siew met former Philippine president Fidel Ramos and was expected later to hold talks with former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke.



Commenting on the meeting between Siew and Hu, Lin Chong-pin (林中斌), former vice minister of defense and president of the Taipei-based Foundation on International and Cross-strait Studies, said “the visit signals in concrete terms a beginning of detente across the Strait. So far that [detente] has only been atmospheric,” he said.

The US has endorsed the meeting and other such cross-strait meetings as “the best way forward.”

US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte made the comment in response to questions by Taiwanese reporters after he made a speech on US-Asia relations in Washington on Friday.

Asked about the expected Siew-Hu meeting, Negroponte said: “We believe that the best way to settle differences over the Taiwan Strait is by peaceful means and we think that dialogue between the People’s Republic of China and the authorities, the leaders in Taiwan, is the best way forward.”

“So, yes, I would say that [a Siew-Hu meeting is] a good way forward,” he said.

Earlier, in a keynote address at a conference of the US Asia Pacific Council, the Washington arm of Hawaii’s East West Center, Negroponte said that the US is “committed to the resolution of any differences that may exist between China and Taiwan over [cross-strait issues] to be settled by peaceful means.”

He also said tthat Ma’s election would help advance cross-strait dialogue.

“We think that the recent election and the rejection of the referendums that were put forward actually opens up the possibility of a new dialogue between the PRC and the political leaders of Taiwan,” Negroponte said.

“So I emphasize to you our commitment to stability, our commitment to the resolution of these issues by peaceful means and our desire to see the dialogue take place as the best way to move forward,” he said.

The statements from Negroponte echoed and augmented those by US President George W. Bush, who, in his message of congratulations to Ma on his victory, called on both sides to engage in dialogue.

Bush gave the same message to Hu five days after the election, when he telephoned Hu and stressed the need for cross-strait talks.

This new emphasis on dialogue by the Bush administration seems to reflect a sense of relief in the administration at the defeat of the Democratic Progressive Party candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and the impending end of the presidency of Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), who has alienated the Bush administration over the years.
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