DPP legislator criticizes symposium proposal

A proposal for the Economic Development Advisory Conference set up by Republic of China President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to stage a regional symposium in mainland China drew fire from a ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker yesterday.

The criticism came after Chang Pen-tsao (張平沼), chairman of a private foundation formed to promote business across the Taiwan Strait, recommended on Sunday that a panel for Taipei-Beijing ties under the Economic Development Advisory Conference should hold symposiums in Chinese cities with large populations of Taiwan businessmen.

Input from these businessmen would help the panel to evaluate Taiwan's business situation more precisely and reach more comprehensive conclusions, Chang said.

However, his proposal was branded yesterday by DPP Legislative whip Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) as being out of touch with reality.

Tsai countered critics' claims that the removal of the current limitations on trade with and investment in China and the opening of direct shipping links with China will help the island through the current economic slowdown by saying that the critics were trying to "smuggle political issues on to the agenda of an economic conference."

Tsai said that issues concerning Beijing -- and therefore beyond the control of Taiwan -- should be left to other government agencies to handle, while the Economic Development Advisory Conference should concentrate its discussions on issues Taiwan actually has the power to handle by itself.

He made the comments to complement remarks made by President Chen the previous day that government officials should not overrule "consensus" reached at the economic conference.

"What Chen said is that government officials should implement the conference's resolutions to the full rather than `at a discount,'" Tsai said.

Instead of being silent at the conference, Tsai said, government officials should air their views and explain the government's stance on various issues to the conference attendees in order to woo their support.

Meanwhile an official at the Mainland Affairs Council said that his council might allow conference attendees to visit mainland China privately to canvass Taiwan businessmen there on their views.

Council Vice Chairman John Deng (鄧振中) also pointed out that Chang's proposal to stage symposiums in mainland China was not agreed upon in Sunday's discussion.