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Siew sees economics as key to China ties

KMT Vice Chairman Vincent Siew recently established the Cross-Strait Common Market Foundation, headed by himself, to promote the market as a means of providing a new framework for cross-strait relations. Siew yesterday spoke to `Taipei Times' staff report Joyce Huang about why he believes economic ties could facilitate a political solution to cross-strait tension.

TT: You are currently the KMT's vice chairman. How do you look at the possible cooperation between your party and the People First Party (PFP)?

Siew: Inter-party cooperation in elections is an ideal, but in politics it's all about practicality and competition. It's not easy.

TT: As a former premier, how do you evaluate the feasibility of Premier Chang Chun-hsiung's (張俊雄) emphasis on the expansion of domestic demand -- the NT$810 billion public construction project (8100億擴大公共工程方案) -- as the solution to stimulating Taiwan's sluggish economy?

Siew: This solution was actually adopted by my administration three years ago. So I think he is heading in the right direction. However, he should stress the importance of near total implementation of the plan. To accomplish that goal, the premier will have to help to remove all bureaucratic red tape for major construction projects.

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