When the president said on Thursday that the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF, 海基會) had "accomplished its current mission," he did not mean that its work is finished, but rather that its role is in transition, said SEF Deputy Secretary-General Jan Jyh-horng (詹志宏) yesterday.
The SEF will continue to serve a vital role in Taiwan-China relations, though for now it has fulfilled its negotiation duties, Jan said in an effort to clarify President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) remark.
Chen made the comment during an interview with reporters on his flight from Sao Tome to Malawi on Thursday, but added "I don't have plans to reshuffle the foundation's leadership."
Meanwhile, Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen (錢其琛) told a delegation of former officials and lawmakers from Taiwan on Friday that some agreements reached by the SEF and its Chinese counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS, 海協會), had disintegrated.
Qian and Chen's comments raised speculation that both governments might close the official communication channel between the foundation and the association that was established in 1993.
Jan said yesterday that the president had made his remark because of China's refusal to negotiate with the SEF over the past five years. He said Chen meant that "the foundation's charter to negotiate in the current stage has been fulfilled" but that this did not mean that the foundation would be closed.
Jan stressed that no other civil organization could match the foundation's experience when it comes to negotiating with China.
Jan said the SEF has three government-mandated functions: to undertake negotiations with China, to provide services for Taiwan citizens and to organize and facilitate cross-strait civil exchanges.
"What China is actually boycotting is the Taiwan government," Jan said. "The situation was the same even when the KMT was in power."
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