`Small three links' could be abused, Chang fears

Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) yesterday asked government agencies to look into whether goods and passengers will use Kinmen and Matsu as transshipment points on their way to Taiwan after the "small three links" (小三通) policy is put into effect in January.

"If the transfer of goods and passengers from China via Kinmen and Matsu to Taiwan cannot be totally prohibited, the `small three links' will likely to turn into the `big three links,' which will have a negative impact on agriculture in Taiwan," Chang said yesterday morning, in reference to fears that cheap agricultural imports from China might render local agriculture uncompetitive, furthering its decline.

According to measures approved by the Cabinet on Dec. 13, Chinese goods and people will not be allowed to use Kinmen and Matsu as transfer points to Taiwan. However, there is a fear that Taiwanese businessmen will take advantage of the new policy to illegally ship cheap Chinese goods to Taiwan via Kinmen or Matsu.

"The policy provides for trial cross-strait links only, and so [the government] will not allow goods or passengers to be transferred [via Kinmen and Matsu] and sent to Taiwan," deputy secretary-general of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Yen Wan-chin (顏萬進) said yesterday.

In response, the SEF said yesterday that six inspection posts would be set up in airports, harbors and post offices to prevent such transfers.

In a briefing to a group of members of the Control Yuan, Chan said the opening of the links is part of the government's efforts to show sincerity and goodwill toward China.

Chang said he is hopeful that the "small three links" will begin as scheduled to help forge rapprochement across the Taiwan Strait and to help boost economic development in the two offshore island groups.

Meanwhile, in preparation for the opening of "small three links," the Ministry of Transportation and Communications conducted a rehearsal of immigration and customs clearance services at the newly refurbished passenger service center at Kinmen's Liaolo (料羅灣) port yesterday morning.

The rehearsal involved a simulation of 200 passengers proceeding with immigration and luggage inspection in preparation for a direct voyage from Kinmen to Xiamen.

KMT Legislator Chen Ching-pao (陳清寶), however, said that the passenger terminal was only large enough to accommodate 200 people at most, so an expansion of the harbor's facilities was necessary.