The Cabinet will establish a special zone by no later than mid-August to help put an end to illegal small-volume trade that has been going on along the coasts of Kinmen and Matsu for years, officials said yesterday.
"For the purpose of easing the commodity flow, the trade zone will be located near a certain harbor [on Kinmen and Matsu] and set up to provide inspections of all goods brought in by Chinese fishermen to avoid an influx of epidemic diseases," said Deng Cheng-chung (鄧振中), vice chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council.
Deng made his comments at a press conference following the second meeting of the Cabinet's advisory board on small three links (
Deng, however, said that the council has yet to come up with concrete measures regarding how the trade zone would be run or which restrictions would be in place to regulate trade between the two sides.
The opinions of both the Kinmen and Matsu governments would be taken into consideration, he added.
"Before the trade zone is actually set up, room for legalizing the small-volume trade that has been taking place will be provided during the transitional period," Deng said.
But he did not elaborate on the plan, saying that it depended on what local residents and local governments would ask for.
While the small three links policy was implemented over six months ago, illegal small-volume trade along the coasts continues nearly unabated.
Trying to work through existing problems, evaluate the policy's effects and needed measures for improvement, Cabinet Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) led a meeting yesterday to discuss the next stages of the policy.
During the meeting it was agreed that like other residents of Kinmen and Matsu, middle-ranking government officials, with the consent of affiliated government agencies, would soon be allowed to enter the mainland ports of Xiamen and Fuzhou from Kinmen and Matsu respectively.
The council would also allow residents from China to enter Kinmen and Matsu for the purpose of religious, cultural, academic and sports exchanges.
Kinmen and Matsu government officials expressed hope for legalizing the cross-strait trans-shipment of commodities and passengers through their areas at the meeting.
Chiou, nevertheless, yesterday instructed the Mainland Affairs Council to further study the idea and its complications before any further discussion on the issue takes place.
It was also decided yesterday to include Kinmen's Shuitou harbor and Matsu's Chungchu harbor on Tungyin island as ports that could be used for cross-strait shipping upon the completion and expansion of both harbors' facilities.
The Cabinet had previously designated the Liaoluo Harbor on Kinmen and Fuao Wharf on Matsu as the ports included under the links.
All the decisions made at yesterday's meeting will have a trial run no later than Aug. 15, after revisions to related rules are drafted by the end of this month, Deng said.
Deng, however, added that the trial run would probably take longer if it became necessary to revise, review and pass the law in the legislature.
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