Thu, Apr 01, 2004 page3

• MAC pressing for Taipei, Beijing to exchange envoys

  • By Melody Chen / STAFF REPORTER
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  The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday Taiwan and China should exchange special envoys serving as both sides' official communication channels now that the presidential election is over.

  The exchange of envoys, first put forth by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) when introducing a "peace and stability framework" with China in February, would be a vital step for Beijing and Taipei to obtain correct information about each other's polices, the council said.

  Jan Jyh-horng (詹志宏), director of the council's Department of Planning and Research, said by dispatching envoys to each other's capital, the two countries would not have to conduct official affairs secretively.

  The envoys could also reduce the chance of conflict.

  MAC Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) had previously expressed concerns that incorrect media reports in Taiwan could confuse China and bring about cross-strait conflicts.

  Jan, in a speech to council officials yesterday, urged Beijing to learn more about Taiwan's ever-evolving democracy.

  Only through dialogue and communication with Taipei can Beijing really understand what is happening in Taiwan, he said.

  The spirit of Chen's "five noes" pledge, which included a promise not to declare independence during his term, is to maintain the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, Jan said.

  He said he was not sure whether Chen would repeat the "five noes" pledge in his second term. However, he noted the government's cross-strait policies would not change much because of Chen's "campaign language."

  Optimistic about the development of cross-strait relations, Jan said government policies are unlikely to change because of the president's personal remarks.

  The council's team working on the "peace and stability framework" had designed the proposal in order to maintain the status quo, he said.

  Jan noted that although Bei-jing has kept a low profile regarding this year's election, it has blasted Taiwan's referendum as a tool to achieve independence.

  Jan said China's media harshly criticized Chen during the presidential campaign to satisfy Beijing's desire to brand the president as a separatist.

  "It is a system of education to fool its people," he said.

  In the past, China did not allow other countries to get involved in cross-strait affairs. But this year it actively lobbied the international community to pressure Taiwan over the referendum issue, he said.

  Taiwan faced "unprecedented diplomatic pressure" because of China's strategy to get other countries to speak against the referendum, Jan said.
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