Mainland Affairs Council officials yesterday met with former deputy finance minister Day Li-nin (戴立寧) to discuss his controversial appointment as advisor to the Beijing-based China Securities Regulatory Commission, but they failed to reach a conclusion on its legality.
"We need to know the structure of the commission and the committee's functions to understand if the advisory post could affect the national interest," council Vice Chairman Chiu Tai-san (邱太三) said.
Last night Chiu said that Department of Legal Affairs director Jeff Yang (
"Day said that he would be contributing professional expertise to the advisory committee, but even Day cannot know completely what functions the committee has. That is why we are concerned about his posting," Chiu said.
Article 33 of the Statute Governing Relations between People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例) allows the government to prohibit Taiwanese from holding certain offices in China.
The article further bars "any form of cooperative activity with the agencies, institutions or organizations of the Mainland Area which are political parties, the military, the administration or of any political nature, or which are involved in any political work against Taiwan or affect national security or interests," unless express permission is obtained.
Chiu said that positions in China sought by Taiwanese are classified as "prohibited" or "authorized upon application." He said further investigation was needed to establish which category Day's position falls under. While the China Securities Regulatory Commission is directly under the China's State Council, it was unclear whether the status of the affiliated international advisory committee on which Day serves is "official."
Day previously defended the job by saying that the position was of a non-political nature as well as unpaid.
Day was vice finance minister from 1995 to 1996. He then took up the posts of chairman and chief executive officer at the Bank of Overseas Chinese. He resigned from the bank in 2001. Day has since been active in the academic community and has focused on cross-strait financial development.
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