The government’s “vague” explanations of the legality of China establishing a representative office in Taiwan are akin to justifying bringing an enemy into one’s house because Beijing would be able to gather intelligence and carry out its unification ambition under the protection of Taiwanese law, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) caucus said yesterday following the announcement last week that Taiwan and China may set up cross-strait representative offices later this year.
Currently, there are offices on both sides that issue travel documents, TSU Legislator Lin Shih-chia (林世嘉) told a press conference, adding that the moves to set up representative offices could be politically motivated and the result of a “wink-wink deal” between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party to promote bilateral political talks.
Talks about opening a Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) in China and an Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) offices in Taiwan have already begun.
TSU Legislator Hsu Chung-hsin (許忠信) criticize President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration for “unilaterally” granting China diplomatic privileges and immunities without a guarantee of reciprocity.
Hsu added that if Taiwan’s office in China is unable to deal with consular affairs and protect Taiwanese residing there, it would be a meaningless agency because personal safety and rights are among the most important issues for Taiwanese businesspeople in China.
Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Kuo Cheng-liang (郭正亮) said it made no sense for the pan-green camp to support the institutionalization and normalization of cross-strait relations, while at the same time opposing the establishment of the offices.
With regards to security concerns, Kuo said that every diplomatic mission in the world — including Taiwan’s — is tasked with gathering intelligence, adding that China already has numerous channels through which to gather intelligence in Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Mainland Affairs Council Minister Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said that Taiwan would initially plan to set up three representative offices in China.
Wang made the remarks on the sidelines of a questio-and-answer session at the legislature where Wang, Minister of the Interior Lee Hong-yuan (李鴻源) and Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Lin Join-sane (林中森) answered questions from legislators on the government’s plans for the establishment of the representative offices and a proposal to allow more white-collar Chinese to work in Taiwan.
Wang said that given the number of SEF staff, the government could initially establish a maximum of three representative offices in China — one in Beijing, in central China and in southern China.
“It is likely that that number would increase in the future, but we could discuss the final number at a later date,” Wang said.
During a question-and-answer session at the meeting, DPP Legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) said that since setting up representative offices on both sides was an extremely sensitive matter, there was a risk of agitating the public if the council did not handle the matter carefully.
“Is it possible that China will establish 10 offices in Taiwan at once? Could China’s national flag be unfurled next to Taiwan’s national flags at these offices?” Tuan asked.
Wang responded that the government was unlikely to initially allow Beijing to set up 10 offices and that the number of offices would be negotiated at cross-strait meetings and decided by “the needs of both sides.”
“However, the council will not permit the ARATS to establish a representative office in all of Taiwan’s administrative regions,” Wang said.
As to whether Taiwan could unfurl its national flag at such offices, Wang said that China had yet to respond to the matter, but both sides would continue to deliberate the issue.
In related news, SEF Vice Chairman Kao Koong-lian (高孔廉) left for China yesterday to see how Taiwan-owned companies in the cities of Chengdu and Chongqing are faring.
Prior to his departure, Kao said that Beijing is prioritizing the development of western China, and Chongqing and Chengdu are high on its investment list.
“Many of our electronics manufacturers have invested in the two cities and we’d like to know how they’re doing,” Kao said.
Kao, who is traveling with a delegation of SEF officials and trade experts, said he will meet senior executives of Taiwanese businesses in Chengdu and Chongqing to discuss any problems they may be having and if they need the SEF’s assistance.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese