This was to set the tone for the EDAC and to convince the opposition that "it is for real this time."
But trouble was still to come -- from no less a source than the Presidential Office itself. Last week Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), at the request of senior pro-independence figures, lashed out at the EDAC's cross-strait panel for proposing to lift the ban on direct links and to modify the "no haste, be patient" policy.
In addition to her outright objection to the panel's proposal, she called on the group and the president to "consult their consciences."
Had Chen not come forward instantly to endorse the EDAC's proposals, the aide believes, the opposition and media probably would have created a storm over the incident, saying that Chen and Lu are playing a game of "good cop, bad cop."
When it comes to adjusting cross-strait policies, the various authorities will "listen to the president and put up a good show together," the aide said. But this show was not to be "a duet between Chen and Lu" but will be an "A-bian one-man show," the aide said.
According to the aide, the operational procedures of the Mainland Affairs Council, National Security Bureau and other relevant departments "have been under the total control of the Presidential Office."
The aide put it directly: "The EDAC is just one of the steps toward the adjustment of cross-strait economic and trade policies."
When Chen put forward "pro-active openness and effective management" in place of the "no haste, be patient" policy at the end of last year, it was actually nothing more than a policy declaration. The study and formulation of concrete measures to flesh out the policy was delegated to government departments.
The aide admitted that "the EDAC, with the endorsement of all political parties, is the best shield for Chen to resist protests from pro-independence elements and from within the DPP.
Still, Chen needs to accommodate the feelings of senior pro-independence figures. Therefore he has made it clear to them that "it is impossible to adjust the whole set of cross-strait policies immediately."
"To be sure, that would require a variety of conditions to coexist. But it is important, at this point in time, to show people that the government is proactive and determined."
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