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Hu-Lien communique won't affect policy, Hsieh says

"[Hu] spent time discussing cross-strait matters with an opposition party leader who lost the presidential election last year. What kind of difference can Lien make? It is not logical at all."

Frank Hsieh, premier

Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday promised that the Cabinet will not propose any rash policies in the wake of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan's (連戰) five-point "peace agreement" and said that KMT lawmakers do not work as efficiently as their chairman.

The remark was a reference to the speed with which Lien reached a communique with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), while the KMT has for months prevented bills from being introduced into the legislature.

According to the premier, a statement released by the KMT after the Lien-Hu meeting highlighted policies which have already been in the works in Cabinet. He said the statement will not change the government's attitude and he will not give in to political pressure which might result from the five-point communique.

"Parts of the agreement reached between the Lien-Hu meeting on Friday overlaps the Cabinet's policy goals," Hsieh said.

"We will keep going. The communique will not impact [the Cabinet] in any way. It is not going to change anything," the premier added.

The communique will not influence government policy, be they foreign or domestic, Hsieh said.

The premier made the remarks while participating in a beach clean-up activity in Jinshan Township, Taipei County. He was responding to Lien's "joint press statement" after he met with Hu on Friday afternoon.

Hsieh also said that if Hu really wants cross-strait negotiations, he had talked to the wrong person.

"[Hu] spent time discussing cross-strait matters with an opposition party leader who lost the presidential election last year. What kind of difference can Lien make?" Hsieh said.

"It is not logical at all," the premier added.

Hsieh also said that if Lien wants to represent Taiwan, he first needs to win a presidential election.

"If you do not govern, you do not have any authority to make agreements with foreign governments," he said.

Asked whether Lien has broken any laws by entering into an communique with the Chinese president, Hsieh said that the relevant law enforcement officials will determine that when Lien returns to Taiwan.

In addition to commenting on the five-point communique, the premier also criticized the KMT for failing to get things done as quickly as Lien did with Hu.

The premier said that Lien and Hu spent only two hours together and were able to achieve a "vision for cross-strait peace. Lien has set a good example for his party on how to get things done, particularly in the legislature, Hsieh said.

"I do not understand why KMT lawmakers cannot do the same as Lien did while meeting with Chinese President Hu, and help introduce and debate important bills in the legislature that have been pending for months," the premier said.

"There are important domestic issues that we need to work out for the people," the premier said.

And that is [the government's] priority," Hsieh said.
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