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Siew suggests a common market for Taiwan, China

Former premier Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) said yesterday that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should accelerate the opening of direct transportation links and form a common market similar to the EU.

Siew, who is also a vice chairman of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), made the remarks after receiving an honorary doctorate degree from National Chiayi University.

Saying that Taiwan and China should temporarily put aside their political dispute, Siew stressed that the establishment of economic and trade relations between the two sides is the only way to maintain peace and stability in the strait.

He suggested that the two sides accelerate the opening of direct trade, postal and transport links and form a common market similar to the EU as an institutionalized mechanism for economic and commercial cooperation between both sides.

The opening of direct links should be a priority for the both governments, Siew said. He also suggested that civic organizations of both sides should initiate negotiations on the issue, with government supervision.

As for ways of establishing a common market, Siew, who is also chairman of the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, suggested that both sides should first set up a cross-strait economic cooperation forum to allow government officials, entrepreneurs and academic experts to exchange opinions in order to reach a consensus.

Asked about rumors that Bei- jing might impose an economic blockade against Taiwan, Siew said that China will not abandon an economically powerful Taiwan, which has invested heavily in China, unless the nation provokes it to such an extent that it cannot tolerate it.

Meanwhile, Siew, a native of Chiayi, hailed the success of National Chiayi University in integrating two colleges into a single university.
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