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MAC tells China to stop politicizing tourism

Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairman Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) yesterday urged Beijing to refrain from setting up political obstacles that impede negotiations on opening Taiwan to Chinese tourists, warning that doing so would result in a deadlock.

Chen made the remarks in a speech on cross-strait issues before a tourism industry gathering in Kaohsiung.

"Traveling and looking at beautiful scenery are fun," Chen said. "Opening [Taiwan] for [Chinese] sightseeing is also a simple task. But the problem lies with Beijing," Chen said.

"Beijing has repeatedly escalated the political issue, set up obstacles and increased its demands when negotiating with us on the tourism issue," Chen said.

Jia Qinglin (賈慶林), chairman of China's National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said in an economic forum held last week between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that "Chinese nationals' visits to Taiwan are not considered travel from `nation' to `nation.'"

Chen urged Beijing to remove these obstacles, saying that otherwise, the negotiations would go nowhere. However, Chen promised that the the government would work to keep negotiations alive.

As for opening up local schools to Chinese students, Chen said it was a complicated issue because it also involved issues such as employment and marriage when these Chinese students finished their studies in Taiwan.

Chen emphasized that such an educational interaction needed careful planning, or Taiwanese students might lose valuable resources to Chinese students.

Chen also said that he did not think the agreements reached by the KMT and the CCP in the forum last week could solve any problems. On the contrary, they would only add to problems, he said.

"The Chinese government has to discuss these issues with Taiwan's government. It cannot make policy announcements unilaterally," Chen said.

As for the 2008 Olympic torch relay, Chen said China should face the fact that the Republic of China exists and its refusal to admit this truth is the fundamental problem that prevents both sides from pursuing a meaningful dialogue.

China's plan to make Taipei the first stop of its domestic route for the Olympic torch was an obvious ploy to degrade Taiwan's sovereignty, Chen said.

Chen added that he expected all Taiwanese to see clearly through China's attempts to polarize the nation.
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