The government is preparing a raft of measures to ensure that Chinese officials visiting Taiwan must meet with both pan-blue and pan-green local governments, sources said.
The Mainland Affairs Council is committed to preventing Chinese officials visiting the nation for political rather than economic purposes, and it will not tolerate groups visiting only pan-blue local governments, sources said, adding that “strong measures” to be taken include denying visitor permits.
In September, the heads of eight pan-blue or independent local governments visited China to discuss tourism and agriculture. In October, a Chinese delegation visited the eight local governments, but canceled scheduled visits to cities and counties run by the Democratic Progressive Party.
The local governments are scheduled to send delegates to an agricultural trade show in Beijing later this month.
Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) on Sunday said that the central government recognized that county and city-level leaders have legitimate reasons for attending events relevant to tourism and trade issues, and their requests to send delegates have been granted.
However, local government leaders are reminded that any dealings their representatives have with Chinese officials must uphold the nation’s dignity; they are not authorized to sign any political or cooperative agreements; and the council expects each local government to give a full report of the proceedings within a month of their delegates’ return, he said.
The government supports cross-strait exchanges that facilitate the development of industry, tourism and agriculture, but Beijing must refrain from “inappropriately divisive” political acts, Chiu said.
Since President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) inauguration in May, China has suspended official cross-strait communications and reduced the number of Chinese tourists allowed to visit Taiwan in an apparent bid to pressure the administration to recognize the so-called “1992 consensus.”
The “1992 consensus” — a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) admitted that he made up in 2000 — refers to a supposed understanding reached during cross-strait talks in 1992 that both Taiwan and China acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
An official said the government views the private sector’s cross-strait exchanges and the maintenance of friendly relations with China as important, and regulations on Chinese spouses, students and tourists are to be relaxed.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has proposed increasing the number of independent Chinese travelers from 5,000 to 6,000 per day and the maximum allowable length of stay from 15 to 30 days.
However, the Mainland Affairs Council blocked the latter proposal on grounds it could be exploited by Chinese who want to work in Taiwan illegally, sources said.
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