President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday that the key to peaceful cross-strait relations is for either side to not make provocative remarks about the other party.
"If [China] does not agitate Taiwan, we will not provoke China either," Chen said at a dinner last night in Penghu for China-based Taiwanese businesspeople.
The dinner was co-hosted by Mainland Affairs Council and the Straits Exchange Foundation.
China can't blame Taipei for a rise in calls for independence when Beijing refuses to waver from the "One China" principle. Nor can China blame Taipei for adhering to the "one country on either side of the Taiwan Strait" statement when Beijing itself keeps pushing for "one country, two systems," Chen said
Chen said that both sides of the Taiwan Strait should go their own separate ways to develop in order to assure their people's wellbeing.
Chen also took the opportunity to listen to businespeople's concerns about conducting business in China.
He also discussed the government's position on the development of cross-strait relations, as well as the prospects and trends of Taipei's China policy.
A council spokesman said the businesspeople first toured scenic Penghu in the morning, familiarizing themselves with the island's tourism development and investment potential.
Later in the day, the business executives and investors met with officials from the council, the foundation and the Ministry of Economic Affairs for discussions on how to increase investment at homeand on matters pertaining to investment in China, according to the spokesman.
Yesterday's gathering was the first time that the council and the foundation have moved the venue of their working meeting to Penghu.
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