Ma states conditions for China visit

Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday he would be willing to visit China under the so-called 1992 consensus of "`one China' with each side having its own interpretation."

Ma made the remarks yesterday after speaking at a ceremony held at the 228 Memorial Park to mark the 54th anniversary of the 228 Incident.

The issue of the consensus has been hotly debated, as President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) government says no such consensus actually exists with China.

Still, many pro-unification politicians within the opposition KMT and People First Party argue that it does exist, and that the consensus should be used to re-open dialogue across the Strait.

"We've always supported the idea of the 1992 consensus," Ma said, though he failed to specify when he would make the trip.

"There's no time table [for the visit]," he said. "Because the Mainland Affairs Council has not yet allowed any elected local government officials to visit China, we won't file any application until it lifts the ban."

Ma, a vocal critic and former deputy chairman of the council, also cited what he said were examples of his respect for the government agency.

"For example, as soon as I returned from Hong Kong, I immediately briefed the council about my trip. And right before Deputy Mayor Pai Hsiu-hsiung (白秀雄) left for Shanghai two days ago to attend a city forum, he also gave a briefing," the mayor said.

"Because I'm one of those who helped form the council, there's no point for me to air any opposing views or take any contradictory actions against it."

But Ma yesterday did say the council should relax its cross-strait policies.

"I hope that it will handle the matter of [city exchanges] in a more reasonable manner," he said.

Ma's comments were in response to guidelines reportedly set by the council before Pai's departure, that limit a government official's actions while visiting China and have been dubbed the "Eight No's."

Pai is currently leading a 23-member delegation to Shanghai for the second annual Taipei-Shanghai City Forum.

But the council says it didn't propose the "Eight No's" policy, and that it was a member of Pai's delegation that put forth the idea.

To show his anger over the regulations, Pai last week resigned from the municipal mainland affairs task force, where he serves as the convener. Ma said yesterday that he has asked Pai to stay in the post.