The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday reiterated warnings that strained ties with China could not be efficiently mended without official government-level contacts.
The remarks, made during a scheduled press conference, came a few days before Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) departs for his closely watched trip to China.
While council spokesman You Ying-lung (
You said national interest should come before party interest.
His cautionary remarks were followed by the release of a report highlighting the absymal living conditions in China.
CRITICAL REPORT
The title of the report, China has become one of the nations most unfit for human habitation, was greeted with a round of laughter by reporters when it was announced.
The council's report cited, among other rankings, the UN's Human Development Report for 2004. The UN report includes a human development index that measures achievement, by country, in securing health, knowledge and a decent standard of living. China was ranked 94th last year.
The council's report covered topics from sandstorms and water distribution to religious freedom. It begins with a caution that China's recent sandstorms and so-called "black winds" would interfere with outdoor activities and transportation and then highlighted various environmental hazards.
The report also cited obscure statistics on the living standards in China. For example it noted that of the 10 million people who were deaf or mute in China, 60 to 80 percent had become so because of the poor quality of medical care. It said that only 50 percent of the trash is properly disposed of or treated.
"The council wants to remind Taiwanese who plan on living, traveling or investing in China that they need to be aware of the risks involved," You said.
STATISTICS QUESTIONED
The council's report attributed its information to a UN report on 20 cities around the world that are "uninhabitable," with 16 Chinese cities on the list.
However, when the Taipei Times called to verify the report, the council admitted that the researcher who had written it had taken the information from the Web site of China's official Xinhua News Agency.
The council said that the UN report had not been made public.
The council's report comes just after the semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation issued a statement warning of the dangers of doing business in China.
The foundation's statistics showed that there had been a 15 percent increase in incidents of bodily harm or injury to Taiwanese businesspeople working in China.
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