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Relations a key issue for Chen: Wang

Improving cross-strait relations should be one of the most important issues facing President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) during his remaining two years in office, Legisla-tive Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said yesterday.

"I recommended to the president before the Dec. 3 local elections that improving cross-strait relations should be placed at the top of his agenda before his terms expires in two years' time," Wang said.

"I told him that the public hopes to see a new cross-strait policy. I will not take the initiative nor has the president asked me to [negotiate with China], but if the country needs me, I'm more than happy to serve at the pleasure of the president," he said.

In addition to proposing to the president that talks between China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) and the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) of Taiwan should be resumed as soon as possible, Wang said that he told the president that the planned second Economic Development Advisory Conference should address non-economic issues, such as cross-strait affairs and the resolution of political confrontation.

Wang said that he made the recommendation while meeting with the president regarding the president's appointment of his APEC envoy.

Wang was appointed by the president to represent him at the APEC summit in Busan, South Korea last month. After pressure from China, Seoul objected to Wang's selection and asked Chen to send someone with a stronger economics background instead.

The appointment was seen by analysts as a gesture to award Wang's impartiality in the legislature.

Wang said that although Beijing has more than once asked pan-blue lawmakers to relay its wish to see him visit China, he does not have any such plans at the moment.

It is important to obtain government authorization, Wang said, or it will be a waste of time even if both sides eventually reach a concrete agreement.

"We simply cannot ignore the Chinese market while mapping out the nation's economy policy," Wang said.

"He must come up with a more solid policy on how to make cross-strait transportation convenient and keep Taiwanese businesspeople here [in Taiwan]," he said.
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