An academic who is promoting cross-strait exchanges suggested yesterday that the government expand the "small three links" between the two outlying islands of Kinmen, Matsu and China.
Tang Shao-cheng (
Tang noted that the government inaugurated the links in January last year, but the people on Taiwan proper are not quite clear about what the links mean, only knowing that they can buy cheap Chinese agricultural products in Kinmen, which he said demonstrated that the government should step up the promotion of its policy.
He said that as Taiwan is hotly debating whether to open direct trade, postal and transportation links between Taiwan and China -- and as the ruling and opposition parties are fighting over whether to open cross-strait chartered flight services to facilitate Taiwan businessmen operating in China -- the importance of expanding the functions of the links has been ignored.
The government currently allows Taiwan businessmen investing in Fujian province along the southeastern coast of the mainland to return to Taiwan by ship via Kinmen and Matsu on traditional Chinese festivals, such as Chinese New Year, Tomb-sweeping Day, Mid-autumn Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival.
He said that if people from Taiwan proper, like their counterparts who are registered as residents of Kinmen and Matsu, could travel to China via the two outlying islands, it would help forge a national consensus on direct cross-strait links.
Tang said that such trips to China via Kinmen and Matsu would save time and money, benefiting Taiwan's people and helping the development of the two islands.
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