Chang bullish on `small three links'

Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) yesterday promised to put the Cabinet's "small three links" (小三通) policy into action by Jan. 1 and open Kinmen's Liaolo Harbor (金門料羅港) and Matsu's Fuwo Harbor (馬祖福澳港) to trade with China.

"[We] hope the policy, after being implemented next year, will bring economic prosperity to the Kinmen and Matsu areas, and further improve cross-strait relations," Chang said.

The premier made the comments yesterday after the Kinmen County Government gave a briefing on plans for "small three links" at Liaolo Bay (料羅灣) on the south side of the island. He said that implementation of the Cabinet's main "three links" (大三通) policy would be based on the effectiveness of the "small three links."

Chang said that the Mainland Affairs Council (陸委會) would conclude its evaluation of the policy and come up with a scheme for legalizing direct transportation, commercial and postal and communication links between China's Fujian Province (福建省), and Taiwan's Kinmen and Matsu areas by Dec. 13.

However, if the policy is implemented next year, just 700 people per day from Xiamen (廈門) would be allowed into Kinmen and 100 people per day from Fuzhou (福州) would be allowed into Matsu.

Kinmen County Commissioner Chern Shoei-tzay (陳水在) urged the premier yesterday to increase the amount of people allowed in to more than 1,000 a day, but Chang did not comment on that proposal.

"[The Cabinet] will conduct a thorough evaluation on the policy six months after it has been implemented," Chang said.

Chang, accompanied by Cabinet members Vice Premier Lai In-jaw (賴英照), Minister of the Interior Chang Po-ya (張博雅) and Cabinet Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁), yesterday held the second Cabinet coordination meeting between the central and local governments in Kinmen County and inspected the construction site of Kinmen's Cross-sea Bridge (金門跨海大橋) that will connect Kinmen proper with Little Kinmen.

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) had previously promised to complete construction of the bridge during his four-year tenure as one of his campaign promises to the people of Kinmen County.

The project, costing an estimated NT$5.2 billion, was begun in 1993.

Chang said that he was impressed to discover that Kinmen County had raised NT$700 million of NT$1 billion needed for the bridge's preparatory fund, and he hoped the bridge could provide a means to communicate across the Strait and help the economic development of Kinmen county.