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... but MAC officials rush to clarify his comments

After President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) remarks yesterday that the government would consider authorizing the private sector to negotiate the opening of direct links with China, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said that the government would not authorize such an action, but would merely seek the private sector's help in such negotiations.

The director of MAC's Research and Planning Department, Jan Jyh-horng (詹志宏), made the remarks while answering reporters' questions yesterday.

Jan quoted MAC Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), after she spoke with the president on the phone yesterday, as saying that what the president really meant was not "authorizing" the private sector to negotiate, but to "try to get help from private groups while negotiating with the other side [across the strait] on the issue."

Jan added that the president's statements focused on "flexibility of negotiation," but that "the president did not mean to authorize any private group to do so in the future."

Direct links include direct postal exchanges, transportation and trade between Taiwan and China.

In the past, the government has insisted that it lead any negotiations with Chinese officials on the matter.

Taiwan's quasi-official Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) has been the only civil organization permitted to work on behalf of the government on cross-strait affairs.

Chen's remarks yesterday were widely interpreted as breaking with past practice which prevented civil organizations outside the SEF to represent the government.

But Jan's remarks seemed an attempt to quell that speculation.

Jan quoted Tsai as saying yesterday that the SEF remains the only organization authorized to represent the administration in negotiations with China.

SEF Secretary-General Shi Hwei-yow (許惠祐) told reporters yesterday that the media had made too much of a fuss over Chen's comments.

"It is impossible for the government to overturn the rules overnight," he said.

Meanwhile, earlier yesterday at a routine weekly press conference, MAC Vice Chairman Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) said that the MAC welcomes Chen's comments on Thursday regarding trying to send a DPP delegation to China once he assumes the DPP chairmanship in August.

Chen said the move would be proactive and that it would have a positive impact on cross-strait relations.

"We would be happy to see the success of the planned DPP visit which could play a supporting role in bettering bilateral ties," he added.

However, the president also stressed that the central government should be the one that represents the public in Taiwan in any negotiations with the Chinese government.
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