The government is likely to wrap up in May its review of whether to amend the "no haste, be patient" investment policy toward China, an official from the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday.
The council's vice chairman, Chen Ming-tung (陳明通), said during a regular news conference yesterday that the review may be finished later this month, but the results of the assessment may not be disclosed until the Cabinet has a say in the matter.
"It is up to the Executive Yuan to decide the timing for introduction of the evaluation," Chen said, adding that the Cabinet was likely to make an announcement in May.
The Mainland Affairs Council, which handles policy toward China, said earlier it would complete its review of the no haste, be patient policy by the end of last month. Chen said that more time was needed, as the issue involves several other government agencies, such as Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Finance.
Since coming to power, the DPP government has come under pressure to relax Taiwan's rules on cross-strait trade. The former KMT government frowned on large-scale investment in China, fearing that Taiwan would become too economically dependent on its political rival.
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), upon taking office in May, promised to adjust the cross-strait investment policy as part of his attempts to improve ties with the mainland.
The council's feud with Pai
Meanwhile, in other news involving the Mainland Affairs Council, vice chairman Chen said that the council was stepping up its efforts to allow official contacts between local governments on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
"The council is studying legal overhauls to pave the way for city-to-city exchanges across the Strait," Chen said.
Chen attributed the recent "friction" between the council and the Taipei City Government to what he called "a minor gap" in understanding.
In a Tuesday news conference, Taipei Deputy Mayor Pai Hsiu-hsiung (白秀雄) accused the council of lying, after government officials earlier claimed Pai failed to notify the council that he planned to visit Guilin as a part of a recent trip to China. Pai said that he informed Chen of his intent to visit Guilin before setting out for his 10-day China tour.
But Chen said that the proposed itinerary, which had not been put in writing, may not have been considered a formal notification.
The mix-up led the council to disallow Pai's planned tour of the scenic city in Guangxi Province.
In a show of discontent, Pai has threatened to quit the cross-strait panel under the city government. He also has resisted briefing the council in person of his trip -- saying that a written report should suffice.
Chen, who is responsible for reviewing Pai's itinerary, said he believed Pai would respect the council and deliver his report in due course. "It is council's responsibility to oversee contacts across the Strait," Chen said.
In addition, Chen noted, the council is working to phase out rules that ban Taiwanese officials from visiting their mainland counterparts.
Kaohsiung City Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), who also serves as chairman of the DPP, has twice sought in vain to visit the Chinese port city of Xiamen.
Chen called on the mayor to be patient, saying his agency is speeding up the drafting of new regulations.
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