Ruan Ming urges foreign participation in cross-strait transportation routes

Taiwan should bring foreign companies to join in the operation of cross-strait shipping and air links, a well-known Chinese affairs analyst said yesterday.

Ruan Ming (阮銘), a visiting professor at Tamkang University, said that amid mounting calls from China for direct transportation links, Taiwan can and should propose some overtures beneficial to the nation in its talks with China, such as bringing international companies to participate in the operation of such routes.

The China-born Ruan, who served as an assistant to the former secretary-general of the Chinese Communist Party Hu Yaobang (胡耀邦), said international airline companies could play a role in bringing foreign political and economic power into cross-strait transportation operations.

This, he said, would help ensure that China couldn't press Taiwan under such circumstances: "Taiwan could benefit from allowing international airline companies to join such an operation. Because they represent foreign forces to hold back China."

He made the remarks during a seminar held by the Taiwan Think Tank yesterday.

Other advantages to having foreign companies involved, said Ruan, are introducing international norms and customs to cross-strait links and extending domestic airlines' routes to other countries, which would broaden economic effectiveness.

Last month Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen (錢其琛) appeared to retreat from Beijing's precondition for talks -- that Taipei accept its "one China" principle -- as he defined direct transport links as "cross-strait" rather than domestic.

However, he also said that shipping or airline companies registered in Taiwan or China should be the only ones allowed to ply cross-strait routes.

Ruan said that although Qian retreated from the"one China" stance, the design of Beijing's overtures actually suggest that it would not give up such principle.

He also said that China's policy toward Taiwan would not change much after Vice President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) takes over as party general secretary. "The fourth generation of Chinese leaders has little space to deal with Taiwan affairs. The only credit they may get is pushing for direct links."