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MAC encourages foreign support for opening talks with China

A high-level Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) official yesterday said that Taiwan will continue to make appeals to the international community to encourage dialogue on both sides of the Strait.

MAC vice chairman You Ying-lung (游盈隆) made the remarks at a meeting with members of the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce (WTCC) attending the association's annual training meeting in Taipei.

WTCC president Wendy Wu (溫玉霞) said yesterday that Taiwanese businesspeople around the world are on the front line of expanding the nation's diplomatic relations with other countries.

The WTCC was established in 1994 as a federation of Taiwanese chambers of commerce around the world to promote exchanges of business information. The group has members in 52 countries and represents about 30,000 people in 152 metropolitan areas. This year, 82 presidents of WTCC branches from 32 countries returned to Taiwan for the meeting.

The WTCC invited You to deliver a speech on the outlook for cross-strait relations yesterday.

You told delegates that while China has started to soften its approach in dealing with the Taiwanese government after the passage of the "Anti-Secession" Law, its position on issues like Taiwanese sovereignty, such as its claim that matters concerning Taiwan are internal affairs, remains unchanged.

China's insistence on denying Taiwan's claim to sovereignty makes it difficult to achieve any progress in cross-strait communications, since Beijing refuses to talk to the Taiwanese government, You said.

You told the WTCC members to be aware of Beijing's tactics and not to be deceived into thinking that the Chinese government has changed its attitude toward Taiwan.

The government will continue to call on the international community to encourage China to engage in talks with Taiwan, because a peaceful and stable cross-strait situation needs to be advanced by the governments on both sides of the Strait, You said.
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