Opposition party lawmakers arrived in Beijing yesterday to take part in unofficial talks on expanding transport links between Taiwan and China.
The visit by lawmakers from the KMT and New Party comes two days after the first legal trip to China by Taiwanese boats in 52 years.
"At a time when the two sides are unable to break their deadlock, we hope this visit will help promote better understanding between the two sides," said KMT lawmaker Her Jyh-huei (
Her's delegation of 31 KMT memebers and a New Party group of four lead by legislator Elmer Fung (
They will also meet top communist officials, possibly including Vice Premier Qian Qichen (
China has refused to deal with President Chen Shui-bian's (
Instead, to put pressure on Chen, Beijing has courted Taiwan's business community, which has more than US$40 billion invested in China and seeks more liberal transportation arrangements with China.
China is holding out for the "three big links" -- full trade, transport and postal links between China and Taiwan -- it hopes will help lead to Taiwan unifying with China.
Her told reporters he believed full cross-strait transportation links "can promote the growth of regular trade between the two sides."
China has tried to mix political issues with economic issues by demanding that contacts be resumed after Taiwan accepts Beijing's "one China principle."
Despite the chill in official ties, cross-strait contacts have developed apace.
Shanghai's Vice Mayor Feng Guoqin (
He said the vice mayor would go to Taipei on Jan. 9 for a week-long visit to meet counterparts in the field of social work.
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