A Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) official denied a report yesterday that it wished to impose restrictions on Chinese businessmen visiting Taiwan's proposed free-trade harbor zones.
At a press conference yesterday, MAC Vice Chairman Jonathan Liu (劉德勳) said the agency hopes, however, that the Council for Economic Planning and Development delays submission to the Cabinet of its draft bill establishing the zones until the MAC finishes drafting administrative orders on the matter.
A Chinese-language newspaper reported yesterday that MAC officials have expressed "reservations" about allowing Chinese businessmen to enter and exit the proposed free-trade harbor zones as freely as other foreigners.
The report also stated that in the proposed bill to set up the free-trade zones, Chinese businessmen would enjoy the same treatment as foreigners, such as obtaining visas upon arrival and convenient and speedy customs examinations, "although the MAC has a different view."
The draft bill is to be sent to the Cabinet for review next week, according to the report.
Aiming at clarifying the report yesterday, Liu said, "The council does not wish to apply regulations governing Chinese businessmen that would conflict with those introduced by the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD), and hopes the bill for the free trade zones will not be finalized until the MAC has completed its administrative orders governing the entry and exit of Chinese businessmen.
Currently, Chinese businessmen are banned from coming to Taiwan. The MAC is now reviewing related regulations and is set to lift the ban by proposing control mechanisms in an administrative order.
The bill for setting the free-trade zones, however, is being drafted by the Cabinet-level CEPD, which is collecting opinions from related ministries before sending the bill to the Cabinet for review.
"We hope that the CEPD will delay the release of its plan, because we want any new regulations to be consistent," Liu said.
Liu stressed the MAC's concern that Chinese businessmen, although legally confined to the free-trade zones, would be able to travel easily to other areas of Taiwan, prompting concern over their lengths of stay and related security problems.
In addition, he added, the definition "businessman" might be too broad. "We need to think deeply and prudently about the matter."
However, he declined to offer any details of the orders, said that there is much to consider.
He also declined to give a timetable for completion of the orders, adding that it is being evaluated by other ministries. Liu, however, said the orders would be approved soon.
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