The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday that there is no timetable for establishing "small three links" or direct religious pilgrimages to China.
Following a meeting of the MAC to discuss small three links, director of the department of economic affairs, Fu Don-cheng (
According to Fu, a recent report saying that small three links would be implemented by the end of this year was "incorrect." He said that the MAC was looking forward to "completing the designing of the implementation plan" by year's end but that otherwise no timetable had been set.
Fu also said that official plans for a direct religious pilgrimage were still being evaluated and will be presented within a month.
Authorities at the Chen Lan Temple (鎮瀾宮) have proposed taking Taiwanese worshippers on a religious pilgrimage from Tai-chung to the goddess Matsu's (
Fu said the pilgrims' application is currently being evaluated and that details regarding it will be brought to light if it meets with a favorable response.
The opening of "small three links" was approved by the Legislative Yuan after the presidential election and allows for direct trade, transport and communication links with China between Taiwan's outlying islands of Matsu, Penghu and Kinmen.
The links were the central issue in Minister of Transportation and Communications Yeh Chu-lan's (
Yeh said inter-ministerial cooperation is needed on different aspects such as quarantines, navigation routes, and port facilities. According to Yeh, Keelung, Tai-chung and Kaohsiung will all eventually be opened to direct links.
She promised to present a detailed comparison of the three ports to Legislative Yuan in three days.
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