Two Control Yuan members, Lee Shen-yi (
It marked the first time that members of Taiwan's supreme watchdog body have traveled to China via this route since the Taiwan government opened the "three small links" -- direct trade, postal and shipping -- between Kinmen and Matsu and China's Xiamen and Mawei in Fujian Province in Jan. 2001.
Prior to their departure for Xiamen, the two ombudsmen said they would mainly meet with senior executives of Taiwanese trade associations in major cities in Fujian Province during their five-day visit, with a view to gaining a better understanding of the problems faced by taishang, or Taiwan businesspeople operating in China.
"Our visit is primarily aimed at discovering the taishang's problems and needs," Lee said.
Since the opening of the three small links, Lee said, the Control Yuan has received appeals from the Kinmen and Matsu County governments and councils as well as taishang regarding relaxing the rules, to expand the number of Taiwan citizens eligible to use the direct shipping services and open Taiwan schools in Fujian for children of the taishang.
"We hope to collect first-hand information about the taishang's views on these recommendations during our visit," Lee added.
Since there have been two cases within the last two months of members of Chinese tour groups from Fujian Province absconding en masse shortly after arriving in Taiwan, Lee said he also hopes to meet with relevant Chinese officials to ask them to assist in preventing a recurrence of similar incidents.
In related news, advisers to the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday that the development of cross-strait relations will be stable and steady in the foreseeable future and there are no immediate signs indicating that China wishes to attack the country.
The advisory committee of the Cabinet-level MAC met yesterday to discuss Chinese Communists' strategies toward Taiwan.
Most of the MAC advisers said that the December legislative elections in Taiwan and the US presidential election in November will be pivotal in terms of seeing how China will adapt its policies to the events, said Chang Shu-ti (
According to Chang, there are two theories held by MAC advisers. One group believes that Taiwan investors and businesspeople operating in China will have more difficulties doing business there, given that Beijing will incite nationalism and that multinationals could increasingly crowd out the Taiwanese.
The other theory holds that the Chinese authorities will continue the current policy of tethering Taiwan via economic links, Chang said.
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