MAC says Hsieh visit to China would be illegal

Taiwan's top policymaker on China, in comments made yesterday, expressed apprehension about a proposed visit by Kaohsiung mayor and chairman-elect of the DPP Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) to Xiamen, Fujian Province.

"We have not allowed such visits by mayors and county commissioners. I think he will respect the law," Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), chairwoman of the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council, said referring to Hsieh.

Tsai said the Cabinet had no plans to ease the ban on senior officials, including city mayors, traveling to China.

News of the visit emerged on Monday when an Internet news service reported that Hsieh had received an invitation from Xiamen authorities.

A visit by Hsieh to China would mark a serious breakthrough in high-level contacts between Taiwan and China, as Beijing has refused to establish contacts with high-level DPP officials.

However, apparently fearful that controversy over the visit may derail the plan, Kaohsiung and Xiamen officials have issued divergent statements on whether an invitation was issued to Hsieh in the first place.

A spokesperson for the mayor of Xiamen said: "The possibility of mutual trips is still being reviewed. Xiamen city has not sent any invitation to Frank Hsieh inviting him to visit mainland China," according to the China News Service.

The spokesperson added: "Exchanges between the two cities of Xiamen and Kaohsiung have nothing to do with the DPP."

Frank Hsieh offered a different account.

"Xiamen Mayor Zhu Yayan (朱亞衍) has invited me to visit, but the schedule has not been decided yet," Hsieh said.

The invitation was faxed to the Kaohsiung City Government on Monday, according to the tTimes.

Hsieh said he hoped to visit China before he formally assumes the DPP chairmanship on July 22 and that July 10 was an "appropriate" date.

The Presidential Office welcomed exchanges across the Taiwan Strait, but said Hsieh must apply to the Cabinet for approval for his visit.

Hsieh said he hoped his visit would break the stalemate between Taiwan and China.

"I hope to use `city diplomacy' to break the impasse between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait," Hsieh said yesterday.

"Of course it will be a big breakthrough. This is something that takes courage to do," Hsieh added.

Hsieh vowed to abide by Taiwan law regarding his visit, saying he would make a report to the Executive Yuan soon.

Hsieh said that he would limit the scope of discussions to city-to-city affairs during the visit.

Also, Chinese officials must address him as "mayor" instead of "mister," Hsieh said.

Xiamen had invited him in the capacity of Kaohsiung mayor.

Hsieh wants to present a gift of 10 macaques -- short-tailed monkeys -- to Xiamen. Xiamen will donate two giant pandas to Kaohsiung, press reports said.

There was no immediate confirmation of an invitation from the Xiamen mayor.

According to Hong Kong press reports, inviting Hsieh is in line with Chinese President Jiang Zemin's (江澤民) plan to split the Taiwan leadership by inviting pro-Beijing Taiwan officials to China.

Hsieh was elected DPP chairman last month and made remarks friendly toward China.

According to Hong Kong's Economics Daily News, China probably will arrange for Hsieh to meet with Wang Daohan (汪道涵), China's top negotiator in talks with Taiwan.

Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) would also be welcome if he wanted to visit China, the China Times cited China's Taiwan Affairs Office Spokesman Zhang Mingqing as saying.