The government has not felt any pressure from Beijing to engage in political negotiations since President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) took office in May 2008, a high-ranking Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) official said yesterday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Ma administration had not felt any pressure from China to negotiate political issues because both sides have agreed to tackle easier and more urgent issues first before moving on to more difficult and less pressing ones. Economic issues come before political ones, he said.
“President Ma has made it clear that he will not engage in political negotiations with Beijing during his first term of office,” he said.
Although the official acknowledged that the MAC has studied such “major issues” as a cross-strait peace treaty, he said it was too early to reveal any details.
The official said cross-strait negotiations are still in their infancy as the two sides have just resumed bilateral talks. Because of a lack of mutual trust, he said, both sides must begin with the easier issues before moving to the more difficult ones.
While a change of Chinese leadership is due in 2012 and 2013, including the replacement of President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao (溫家寶), the official said he believed Beijing would not pressure Taipei into political negotiations because the administration has made its position clear and Beijing fully understands it.
In other developments, MAC Deputy Minister Chao Chien-min (趙建民) said yesterday that the second round of official negotiations on an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) the administration seeks to sign with Beijing are scheduled to be held in Taipei in the first half of this month.
Chao, who will leave for Japan tomorrow for a five-day visit, said he was baffled by the accusation that the Ma government was being too friendly to China.
Saying that Tokyo was far more engaged in trade exchanges with Beijing than Taipei was, Chao said Taiwan has not criticized Japan for being too close to China. Washington and Beijing also enjoy a close relationship on political, military and strategic matters, but no one has said the US is leaning toward China, he added.
As cross-strait trade has increased dramatically, a responsible government is duty-bound to institutionalize the economic exchanges and create an investment environment that is safe, comfortable and inexpensive, he said.
“It is totally beneficial to Taiwan. I don’t understand why such a policy is considered China-friendly,” Chao said.
The Presidential Office, meanwhile, confirmed yesterday that Ma would participate in a nationwide ECFA promotion campaign, but details were still being arranged.
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