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MAC flip-flops on trip for Kinmen chief

The Mainland Affairs Council’s (MAC) last-minute turnaround to allow Kinmen County Commissioner Lee Chu-feng (李炷烽) to visit China in his capacity as a private citizen has attracted criticism from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which yesterday said the decision was an attempt to put politics before the law.

Under existing law, local government heads’ travel plans to China require prior approval from the MAC.

The MAC originally rejected Lee’s application on May 12. Lee wished to attend a fundraising event in Beijing for victims of the Sichuan earthquake.

When independent Legislator Alex Fai (費鴻泰) on Tuesday asked MAC Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛) during a legislative session on the decision, Lai said the key reason was the complexity of Lee’s Beijing itinerary.

BUSY SCHEDULE

Besides attending the fundraiser, Lee also planned to discuss a Kinmen County Government plan to procure water from China as well as visit major Chinese agencies in charge of Taiwan affairs, Lai said.

The council changed its mind late on Tuesday, informing Lee that it would allow him to travel as a private citizen after he adjusted his itinerary.

Lin Chen-wei (林成蔚), director of the DPP’s Department of International Affairs, yesterday said Lee could not go to China to participate in relief activities in Sichuan Province because of a law regulating visits to China by civil servants and personnel with special status. Included are those employed by the National Security Bureau, the Minister of National Defense, the Investigation Bureau under the Ministry of Justice and its affiliate agencies.

The KMT administration had to abide by the law and not make too many exceptions, he said, adding that the council’s decision would create the impression that the government is breaking the law.

OPENING FLOODGATES

Lin expressed concern that the administration would relax cross-strait policy for its own sake and that more exceptions would follow.

He urged the new government to protect Taiwan’s dignity and national interest while conducting a complete overhaul of laws and regulations.

Lin said the DPP does not oppose exchanges with China but that they must be conducted based on the principles of equality, dignity and national interest.

At a separate setting yesterday, Lai vehemently denied the allegations that the last-minute turnaround to approve Lee’s trip was because she was pressured by the KMT.

Lai said the reason the MAC changed its mind was because Lee had agreed to simplify his trip and promised not to negotiate on issues related to the central government.

“He agreed not to meet with any Taiwan Affairs Office personnel and will only go as a shareholder of Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Inc to attend the earthquake relief fundraising event,” Lai said, adding that: “We are confident that he will keep his promise.”

Prior to his departure yesterday, Lee welcomed the decision to let him go, but also criticized the MAC, saying it “wouldn’t take friendly criticism, and had to be forced,” and would not have allowed him to go if it weren’t for the fact that legislators had intervened.

Lee angrily added: “The MAC does not determine my status. The status as Kinmen County commissioner was given to me by voters, and the MAC overstepped its authority.”



Lee also complained that President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) promise to expand the small three links had not been kept.

Lee said that when he met with MAC Deputy Chairman Fu Don-cheng (傅棟成) last Saturday, he was told that the council would only discuss chartered cross-strait flights and allowing Chinese tourists to visit and that it did not want to deal with other complications. This made him question Ma’s inaugural pledge to immediately expand links, he said.

If there was a drop-off in visitors traveling to Kinmen via the small three links, the hotel and transportation industry on the island would suffer, he said.

Lee said talks between the Straits Exchange Foundation and China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait should give careful consideration to the outlaying islands.

Meanwhile, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said yesterday that he was optimistic about getting the MAC’s approval to visit China later this month to sign an agreement on participating at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Hau plans to visit Shanghai from June 23 to June 28 after the city government was invited to showcase its achievements in wireless broadband development and recycling at the expo.

Additional reporting by Mo Yan chih, Jenny W. Hsu and CNA
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