The opposition KMT's party whip yesterday called for authorities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to discuss direct trade, mail, and shipping links between Taiwan and China based on the "1992 consensus."
Legislator Ho Chih-hui (何智輝), who is scheduled to lead a KMT legislative delegation to visit China Jan. 4 to Jan. 11 to exchange views with Chinese leaders on the issue of the "three direct links" across the Taiwan Strait, said negotiators from the two sides should use the "one China" with each side having its own interpretation" (九二共識: 一個中國各自表述) consensus reached in 1992 to resume the long-stalled cross-strait dialogue on technical affairs, with political issues being temporarily shelved.
Ho said the KMT delegation's top goals on this trip are to sound out how China has prepared itself for the much-talked about three direct links and also to offer the Beijing authorities some substantive suggestions on that concern.
Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) visited the KMT party caucus in the Legislative Yuan Saturday to brief the KMT lawmakers on the latest government policies concerning the three direct links and to offer tips on related affairs.
Ho, meanwhile, said he and his group will propose to Beijing authorities that China open more important ports to Taiwan shipping and related services so as to meet Taiwan business people's expectations and the long-term interests of both sides of the strait.
The KMT group will be comprised of some 40 legislators and specialists from several of the party's think-tanks, including Kao Kung-lian (高孔廉), former vice chairman of the Cabinet-level MAC.
The KMT legislators and specialists, at the invitation of China's intermediary body with Taiwan, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, are expected to visit Beijing first to meet Chinese leaders on matters pertaining to the direct three links initiative.
Group members are also expected to meet with officials from China's ministries of transportation, foreign trade, postal affairs, and civil aviation for talks on technical issues related to the direct links.
Following their Beijing visit, the KMT group will visit China's leading port cities of Shanghai, Tianjin, Qingdao, and Fuzhou on fact-finding tours.
According to Ho, KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
Beijing has invited the KMT group to China for talks on the "big three links" while evidently giving the cold shoulder to the DPP-initiated "small three links," referring to direct trade, mail, and shipping links between the frontline island groups of Kinmen and Matsu and China's Fujian port cities of Xiamen and Fuzhou.
RSS